


Sweet Baby

by rosedarkling



Series: The Sataivlis Files [2]
Category: Deep-Sea Prisoner, Mogeko, Okegom, funamusea, 廃れ夢 | Obsolete Dream, 海底囚人, 海底囚人 | Deep-Sea Prisoner, 灰色庭園 | Haiiro Teien | The Gray Garden
Genre: Abuse, Angst and Feels, Developing Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Parent-Child Relationship, Past Rape/Non-con, Raising a Child, Rape/Non-con Elements, Smut, Yaoi, past trauma, sataivlis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:15:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 30,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling
Summary: This is a story of of how the devil from the Flame Underworld and the devil from the Pitch Black World are dealing with raising a child. Their own, twisted relationship is also something that needs to develop, just like this sweetly-named baby.
Relationships: Ivlis/Satanick (Gray Garden)
Series: The Sataivlis Files [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867051
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82





	1. Fate

“Waaaaaaaah!”

The loud cry of the infant woke Ivlis right up. He groaned as he turned over in the bed, still exhausted from being awakened literally only a couple of hours earlier. He had forgotten how difficult it was to raise a baby. It had been decades since he had raised Adauchi and Poemi. Sure, Poemi was still very childish and actually around, but an infant was so much work on his own. Ivlis sighed, remembering that he had not seen Adauchi in years, but tonight he didn’t have time to dwell on that. Right now, he had to go take care of Licorice.

Ivlis slid out of the bed, his long nightgown almost impeding his movements as he made his way to the crib that was at the foot of his bed. He stared down with tired, golden eyes at the wailing baby. His little eyes were squeezed shut as he screamed, large tears wetting his tiny face. He kicked his tiny hands and feet that were covered in his little, purple onesie. What could be the matter this time?

Ivlis bent over the crib to scoop up the tiny devil, his long hair flowing down around him. He cradled the baby to his chest, gently bouncing him as he rubbed Licorice’s back. The crying began to subside, and the little one huffed as he began to calm down. Ivlis sighed, relieved that the wailing had stopped. He stared down at the top of Licorice’s head, the black hair and purplish-red horns a reminder of just whose child he really was. Ivlis did not want to recall those days of Satanick raping him whenever he desired. And the one time he finally gave in to Satanick’s suggestions, he wound up with a baby in his arms, Satanick standing there proudly.

Ivlis shook his head to shake off those memories. At least the child was safe and well-taken care of. And even if this baby was part of Satanick, Ivlis still loved and cared about him. The child called him “Mama,” after all. Since they were from very different worlds – Ivlis living in the Flame Underworld, and Satanick the head over the Pitch Black World – Licorice would sometimes stay in the Flame world with Ivlis, and other times, Ivlis would stay in the Pitch Black World with Satanick and Licorice, though Ivlis preferred to be alone in his own world without Satanick. He hated to be dragged over there with that man’s advances and torture sessions. Thankfully, those had lessened since the arrival of Licorice, which Ivlis was grateful for. It still occurred, but far less frequently.

“What in the world goes through that devil’s twisted head?” Ivlis whispered out loud to himself. Licorice had stopped his sniffling and now looked up at Ivlis with the same eyes that stared back down into his. Sure enough, this child was the spitting image of the two of them. Cute he may be, but Ivlis still felt uneasy knowing that this baby had been born from an evening between the two devils. Ivlis shuddered at the memories. “I pray you never have to find out about your father’s sick mind,” Ivlis whispered on top of the baby’s head.

Yawning, Ivlis made his rounds with the infant – changing the baby, taking him into the kitchen to make him a warm bottle, and walking him up and down the hallways until he fell back asleep. At least infants slept a lot, which was a blessing. The constant back and forth of raising a baby was tiring Ivlis out, and he’d take whatever free moment he could take to rest up.

As Ivlis returned to the bedroom with a sleeping Licorice, yawning for the umpteenth time, he was greeted by a smiling, cross-legged devil sitting on the edge of his bed. Ivlis internally groaned seeing that twisted horned devil sitting on his bed, a smug smile on his face and those purple eyes of his staring at Ivlis. He wore the same white shirt and black pants he always did.

“Mama Buri-chan is such a good mother,” Satanick said, his voice teasing as Ivlis held Licorice close. He knew Satanick was always gentle with the babe, but he was always on alert whenever Satanick showed up like this unannounced, which was quite often.

“Go away,” Ivlis said, a dead-pan expression on his face as he glared at this evil man.

“Hey, now, come on, Buri-chan, that’s not very nice,” Satanick pouted. “If you say mean things to me like that, Licorice will learn that behavior, too. How cruel to turn a child against his own father.”

Ivlis growled in the back of his throat, trying to control his rising agitation so he would not disturb Licorice. “Now is not the time, Satanick.” Ivlis approached the crib to slide Licorice back in between his plush bat and snake toy that he loved to hang onto and chew. As Ivlis straightened up, Satanick slinked up behind him, wrapping his left arm around Ivlis’s waist to pull his back into his chest. His other hand then slid up to Ivlis’s chin to turn Ivlis’s face back over his shoulder so his gaze could meet his. Ivlis’s heart began to pound and his blood ran cold. He hated any time Satanick would approach him unexpectedly, always unsure what would happen next.

Satanick’s eyes inspected Ivlis’s for a while, along with his facial features. “Wow, you really do look worn out. Poor Buri. A child really is tiresome, huh?” Satanick let out an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, the joys of motherhood.” He giggled at his own joke.

Ivlis wrenched his face out of Satanick’s grasp, grabbing at his arm around his waist to wrench that off next. “Get off of me,” he whispered, malice in his voice. “You’ll wake Licorice.” Ivlis did not want that after spending an hour of getting him back to sleep.

“Is that any way to appreciate me coming to help you, Buri?” Satanick slid his hand back up to Ivlis’s face, pressing his fingers against his lips. “You’ll have to repay me later for coming to take the baby off your hands for a bit.”

Ivlis’s heart pounded against his chest at Satanick’s lewd suggestions and his offer to take Licorice away. He pushed Satanick’s hand away from his mouth. “No. I’m not letting you help me.” Partly because Ivlis didn’t want to leave Licorice alone with Satanick, and partly because he knew if Satanick even gave him the slightest handout, he would want something from Ivlis in return.

“Buriiiiiiiii,” Satanick whined. “I’m hurt. Ouch. You won’t even let me spend some quality time with my son.”

“He won’t want you alone with him anyway,” Ivlis retorted, trying to wiggle out of Satanick’s grasp without too much movement, lest he disturb Licorice.

Satanick sighed yet again. “Ah, yes, he’s a mama’s boy, for sure.” Each time Satanick would try to bring Licorice home, he would bring Ivlis along with him due to Licorice’s constant crying for “Mama.” Satanick smiled large as he realized what this meant. “Well, you’ll just have to come along again, Buri.”

Ivlis’s heart dropped into his stomach. “I literally just got home the other day!” he whispered harshly between clenched teeth. “No way are we going again.” Besides, Ivlis had a family and a kingdom to care for here; he did not want to have to spend his life in the Pitch Black world around Satanick and those other demons. They were all sadistic jerks, in Ivlis’s opinion.

“Yes, you are going again,” Satanick grinned, his voice deepening. Each time his voice did that, Ivlis swore it sounded like a totally different man. “You can’t say no to me, Ivlis; we both know this.”

Ivlis hesitated. He knew Satanick was right. Ivlis barely fought back when Satanick would abuse him. He wouldn’t even dare. Ivlis had lost a significant amount of his power to that black devil in that gray world. And Satanick hadn’t even shown how much power he had, though Ivlis had gotten a small taste of it once before shortly before Licorice was born. Something about the devil lord seemed different; he seemed much darker, more diabolical. Ivlis knew that to fight against him was foolish. The night Ivlis had tried to kill him, he knew now that he would never be able to defeat him. This fate…. Ivlis knew this would be his fate from now on.

With a resigned and weary sigh, Ivlis stopped resisting Satanick with his feeble attempts. “Fine,” he whispered. “But I’m not happy about this.”

Satanick chuckled. “When are you ever happy, Ivlis?”

As Ivlis leaned down to carefully pick up Licorice again, he let those words sting his heart. Yes, truly – when was he ever happy? He couldn’t recall the last time he genuinely felt happy. The last time was so, so long ago. A distant memory in a hot, bright land. 


	2. Introductions

Satanick hummed as he led Ivlis by the hand up the steps to the doors of his castle. Other inhabitants that were scattered around the grounds of the castle gardens merely stared at the three of them. Some smiled while others gave disapproving and strange glances to see a devil here from another world. The way Satanick led Ivlis around while holding the still sleeping Licorice had Ivlis feeling uncomfortable – like he was being paraded around like a pet.

“Could you not have just transported us into the castle instead of dragging me through like this?” Ivlis mumbled under his breath. Satanick hadn’t even given him a chance to change out his nightgown. This was so embarrassing to the flame devil.

“Nope!” Satanick happily replied. “I wanted everyone to see my adorable son and Mama Buri.”

Ivlis was unsure if he should feel insulted or even more embarrassed. This gloomy, dark world seemed to shine even with the perpetual darkness. From what Ivlis knew, the weather was usually affected by Satanick’s mood; he had heard that it rained whenever he was sad. Yet again, this proved to Ivlis how much of Satanick he truly didn’t know. The man’s power could even control the weather over this world of his. Ivlis just bit his lip as Satanick dragged him through the double doors of the castle, entering into a spacious welcome area.

Ivlis quickly glanced around at a few of the other inhabitants that wandered the castle. He didn’t want to spend too much time looking at them, as he hoped maybe they wouldn’t stare too deeply at him either. Even he knew that was a lie with the way Satanick paraded him around.

Ivlis’s eyes first landed on a small girl that wandered around, her sneakers squeaking off the floor as she followed behind a demon with snakes in her hair; no, the snakes _were_ her hair. A gorgon demon? Ivlis was surprised to see such a creature here. Then again, that girl was quite the creature, too. She was quite small, and her face and hands appeared to have stiches lining them. A big bolt was attached to the right side of her head with the point sticking out on the left side, like that of a horn. Her black and green eyes almost appeared like buttons. Her mishmash of hair colors and styles was striking, too – a combination of curly black hair and straight pink hair. Was this child some sort of doll? She certainly looked like someone had created her.

The girl’s blank stare landed on Ivlis and Satanick, and she smiled when she saw Satanick. She made her way over to them, Ivlis noticing a large lollipop in her right fist.

“Lord Devil,” she called out to him, face turned up towards his.

“Hello, Crea.” Satanick reached out a hand to put on her hair, ruffling it. “How are we doing today?”

“I’m good,” the child replied, holding out the lollipop in front of her for Satanick to see. “Look, I’ve been good, so Meduoco let me have this.”

Satanick glanced over at the snake gorgon, and she smiled politely. Her eyes were quite bright with the yellow color and red sclera she had. Ivlis felt a bit uneasy staring at the snakes that hung around her head, their slithering making Ivlis feel a bit wiggly; he hated slimy things. This was just another reminder of how Satanick liked to tease him with those worms. Now he felt ill thinking of those times during the abuse.

“Yes, Crea’s been a wonderful help in the garden today,” this woman – Meduoco, was it? – said. She glanced over at Ivlis, who turned his gaze away from her, hoping she hadn’t noticed him staring at her. She smiled at the sleeping baby cradled in Ivlis’s left arm. She didn’t say anything else, though, merely holding out a hand for Crea to return to her side. “Come along, Crea. We have work to do.”

Crea glanced back at her for a moment, nodding. She then looked back at Satanick, her eyes then meeting Ivlis’s. Ivlis couldn’t help but wonder why in the world such a child was here, especially in Satanick’s kingdom. Sure, he figured children were around, but why here specifically? Ivlis found himself a bit curious, but he decided to ignore this. He honestly had no desire to determine who these people were or why they were so friendly to such an evil man.

The girl’s eyes wandered to the baby in Ivlis’s arms, her mouth forming an “O” in surprise. “A baby devil,” she stated.

Satanick chuckled. “Yes, this baby devil is my son, Crea.”

The child’s eyes widened even more, along with her surprised mouth. “You have a baby?” She pointed her lollipop at the baby instead of her finger. “What’s their name?”

Satanick smiled back at Ivlis, who turned his face away. “His name is Licorice. And this right here – ,” Satanick pulled Ivlis forward by the hand to present him before the girl, “ – is the mother.”

Ivlis hated that Satanick introduced him like this. It was just another way to draw more attention to him. He growled in the back of his throat.

Meduoco must have noticed this, as she called again for Crea. “Crea, come along now. Before it gets too late.” Thankfully, the child turned on her heel, her sneakers squeaking on the floor yet again as she rushed back over to the gorgon demon, sliding her hand into hers. Ivlis noticed both of them had black painted nails, just like Satanick. _Does everyone have these nails?_ Ivlis found himself thinking. _A strange world with strange inhabitants._ He couldn’t help but speculate how terrible these people could really be. They were friendly to each other, it appeared, but Ivlis knew Satanick’s habits; he could only imagine if others had these same sadistic tendencies as their devil lord.

“See your baby and you later, Lord Devil,” Crea called back as Meduoco led them away.

Satanick waved as they disappeared down a side hallway, presumably to do more gardening outside. Satanick squeezed Ivlis’s hand in his, and Ivlis knew they’d just keep heading through this palace until they made it to wherever it was Satanick was taking them. As they walked further, Satanick greeted everyone who passed by, proudly pointing out Licorice. Some merely nodded, waving him off, saying they had already heard and seen him many times, and others cooed over the baby. Not many of them paid much attention to Ivlis. He was somewhat grateful for that, since he wanted to avoid as many eyes on him as possible. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder if some of them were deliberately ignoring him due to him being paraded around like some sort of animal. One demon that was even dressed up as some sort of police officer – that’s what humans would call them, right? – joked around with Satanick about his own “pet.”

_“Geez, Satanick,” the blue-haired, red-eyed demon chuckled. “If I’d know we were going to be parading around our pets today, I would have brought my shrimp along.” He grinned maliciously, showing sharp, serrated teeth. Ivlis shuddered when meeting this man._

_Just make it stop!_ Ivlis screamed internally.

At his limit, Satanick finally led Ivlis to the double doors of a spacious bedroom. Ivlis gulped when he noticed it was Satanick’s room. This familiar yet horrible place. Many of times, Ivlis found himself on this bed unwillingly. One of those nights, that’s when Licorice was created. Ivlis’s heart beat fast as he feared that now that they were here, Satanick would finally show his true colors once again. Ivlis yanked his hand free from Satanick’s grip, wrapping his arms around Licorice more tightly. He didn’t want to hold onto that devil’s hand any longer than he had to.

“What now?” Ivlis sharply asked, though he worried what the answer would be.

Satanick merely smiled at him, a sly look on his face. “Whoa, there, don’t take that attitude with me, Buri. Are you still hormonal from the baby?” He laughed as Ivlis gritted his teeth. “I kid, I kid!” Satanick said with a wave of his hand.

Satanick snapped his fingers, and Ivlis stared in surprise as items began to materialize in the room; a crib, a colorful mat, and all manner of toys and baby equipment, such as a swing. Speechless, Ivlis merely stared at the array of children’s items that lie before him. Some of these bright colors did not suit this world or this dark bedroom, but they were perfect for a child.

As Ivlis stood there, Satanick scooped Licorice out of Ivlis’s arms in a swift yet gentle manner. Ivlis gasped, heart immediately racing, afraid what might happen, but he sighed in relief as Satanick merely transported the babe to the plush crib. Arms free of something to hold, Ivlis instinctively wrapped his arms around himself to protect himself. Satanick straightened himself up from leaning over the crib. His gaze then fixed on Ivlis, who did not like the way Satanick was grinning at him.


	3. Twisted, Little Family

“Ah, ugh!” 

The sounds of Ivlis groaning echoed throughout the dungeon. With Licorice fast asleep, Satanick decided it would be a “great idea” to have some alone time from the baby. _Just us adults_ , Satanick had whispered into Ivlis’s pointed ear as he wrapped his arms around him, transporting him to the dungeon in the next instant. Satanick wasted no time in tearing the nightgown off of Ivlis’s frame, forcing him face first onto the stone cold floor. Ivlis tried to get away from him, but Satanick had his arms tied behind his back with chains the next thing he knew - regular rope didn’t always work, as Ivlis could burn them off easily. Once again, Ivlis found himself in this horrible predicament. Satanick’s libido was always interfering in Ivlis’s life; Ivlis was always getting roughed up by this devil.

“Don’t fight it, Ivlis. Just enjoy it,” Satanick cooed behind Ivlis’s head, whispering into his ear as he pressed his body against his back.

“Ghh!” Ivlis gritted his teeth as he fought back tears that pooled at the edges of his eyes. “P – Please stop!”

“Ivlis ~,” Satanick sang out, gently nibbling on the back of the tip of Ivlis’s right ear. “You should enjoy yourself while the baby is sleeping. Every parent knows this.”

Every parent, huh? Ivlis thought about his children that had been born from flames; no other partner had been involved in that process. Now, with Licorice, Ivlis realized that his fate was always linked to Satanick. The baby was part of both of them – from that one night of lust. Sure, he had been dealing with Satanick for years thanks to Reficul introducing them both, but now, Ivlis knew that Satanick would forever be part of his life. Ivlis loved his child, but he hated the idea that this abuse would continue for years to come.

But even now, pressed onto the cold, hard dungeon floor, Ivlis realized that he was not getting beaten as often as he used to. Was he being a bit more gentle towards him thanks to Licorice? Ivlis had noticed the abuse had lessened, which he was thankful for, but he hated to still be used as some sex toy for this devil’s sick pleasure.

As Ivlis tried to prepare himself for what inevitably came next, he heard the creak of the dungeon door, and Satanick suddenly stop his movements. Ivlis tried to twist his head and look over his shoulder to see that blue-haired demon from earlier standing in the doorway. Was that somebody slung over his shoulder? The bright red tail looked like that of a lobster.

“Whoops!” he laughed out loud. “Sorry, Satanick! I should have looked through the window bars before coming in.”

Agitated, Satanick sighed as he glared up at the demon. “Roc, as you can see, I’m in the middle of something. What is it?”

The man chuckled, showing off his serrated teeth once again. “Right, right, sorry. I meant to tell ya, that baby of yours is crying.” He pointed his free right-hand index finger up, directing it towards the ceiling to prompt Satanick to the castle above them. “Envi is having a heck of a time trying to calm him down.”

Ivlis heard Satanick let out a deep sigh yet again. “Oh, well, guess this will have to wait for another time, Buri-chan. Baby comes first.”

Satanick slid his body off of Ivlis’s, and Ivlis breathed out a sigh of relief. He was safe for another day, though he would have preferred if that blue-suited, twin-tailed demon hadn’t burst in like that and could see Ivlis’s naked body on the floor like this. Satanick fixed his clothing, leaning down to rip off the chains that bound Ivlis’s arms. Ivlis let his arms slide back down his body to his sides, letting the feeling come back into them. As he pushed his body up, he noticed a pair of clothes that suddenly appeared by his head; a clean pair of his own clothes - boots and all. The fact that Satanick could even summon his own clothes here bothered Ivlis. Just how much power did this devil have? Ivlis didn’t want to even think about that.

“Get dressed,” Satanick called down to Ivlis as he tucked his shirt back into his black pants. “Licorice is waiting for us.” Without even waiting for Ivlis, Satanick walked right past Roc and his unwilling guest that was slung over his shoulder. Ivlis watched as Satanick continued walking until he was out of sight past the dungeon door. With only the demon, the guest, and Ivlis there, Ivlis blushed in embarrassment, and he hurriedly got dressed as the demon snickered.

“Relaaaax,” the demon – Roc, was it? – said, drawing out his tone. “I’m not interested in dudes, anyway.”

Gritting his teeth to avoid any further confrontation, Ivlis didn’t even bother to button up his gray jacket with the gold buttons. He tried to keep his head down at he walked past Roc, not wanting to make eye contact with this other perverted demon. Were all demons in this world just as sadistic as Satanick? Ivlis couldn’t help but think so. As he strode past, Ivlis quickly shot a glance at the mysterious person draped over Roc’s shoulder. Ivlis couldn’t help but feel a bit sad for the girl. She had bright, red curly hair that hung down with her four antennae as she was draped over this man’s back. So, she was really a lobster, as Ivlis had suspected from that tail of hers. Her black and red eyes dripped tears as she hung over his shoulder. She wasn’t bound or anything, so Ivlis questioned why she wasn’t trying to escape, though he could tell she was significantly shorter than this man who was even slightly taller than Ivlis.

As Ivlis kept walking, he then began asking himself the same question: _Why not just escape?_ As he jogged up the stone stairs out of the dungeon, he knew the answer immediately without having to put much thought towards it. 

There was no way he would ever be able to get away from Satanick. This twisted little family was now his to bear. 


	4. Simple Happiness

As Ivlis made his way down the hallway, he could hear Licorice’s wails slowly dying down, which he was grateful for, though he feared having the child alone with such a man like Satanick. As he turned the corner to the door of Satanick’s room, he watched as a haughty demon strode past him, completing ignoring him. His long, olive ponytail trailed behind him. Ivlis didn’t pay him much mind, though he wondered why he was so huffy. Was that demon the Envi that Roc had mentioned? Well, whoever he was, Ivlis hoped that the rest of the demons in this place would ignore him like this man did. He’d rather not be seen by others.

Entering the room, Ivlis noticed Satanick cradling the teary-eyed infant in his left arm, his right hand waving down at Licorice to try to entertain him with his dangling fingers. The screams of the little boy had begun to wane as he stared up at something new and interesting to him. His little hands reached up to try to grasp at Satanick’s fingers, and he successfully was able to grab onto two of his fingers, pulling them down to his eye level.

Seeing Satanick in such a starkly contrasting mood made Ivlis seriously question just what this man was capable of. One minute he was forcing himself onto Ivlis on a cold dungeon floor, and the next he was gently holding the child they had together. Just what was going on in this devil’s mind? Part of Ivlis feared for the baby, though, he trusted that Satanick wouldn’t ever hurt him.

_Come to think of it, he has another son, too, right?_ Ivlis pondered. He didn’t know much about Satanick still, but from the few times he had been around, he had caught wind that Satanick had a wife named Lil – Ivlis had seen a bit of her from time to time around the castle – and a son that was always wearing black shades. Ivlis hadn’t seen much of him around, but then again, Ivlis didn’t live here, thankfully. Ivlis wondered why the son wouldn’t be around his own father if Satanick was such a caring dad like what he presented now.

_That doesn’t mean anything_ , the rational side of his brain argued with him. _You were going to revolt against your own creator. He was basically your father, too._ Ivlis felt like he was punched in the gut by his own mind. Such horrible memories wanted to seep their dark tentacles into his mind, and he shut them down the best he could.

It was sickening.

Disgusting.

Ivlis strode over towards the pair, and Satanick looked up with a smile, allowing Licorice to continue to pull at his fingers, the infant trying to desperately pull them closer and closer to his mouth to chew on them. “Well, well, Mama finally showed up. You should have been here earlier, Buri-chan. Envi was hysterical.”

_“Sir, he won’t stop screeching!” Envi held the screaming infant out in front of him as Licorice kicked and screamed, looking for a familiar face._

_Satanick laughed, bent over, holding his sides. “Oh, Envi, you look hysterical! Haven’t you handled a baby before?”_

_“You know I have!” Envi retorted, trying to keep a grasp on the wiggling infant. “But this one is just so ornery! He keeps screaming for Mama and Ba, whom I'm assuming is you!” As Satanick continued to laugh, Envi called out, “Sir, stop laughing, and just help me, please!”_

Satanick chuckled as he recalled his faithful subordinate struggling with such a tiny devil baby. “Oh, it sure was funny. Too bad you missed it, Buri.”

Ivlis huffed, couldn’t caring less. “Yeah, too bad,” he mumbled.

“Now, now,” Satanick said, pulling his fingers out of Licorice’s grasp to wave a finger in Ivlis’s face. “We already have one cranky boy; we don’t need another.”

Ivlis growled in the back of his throat at Satanick’s jesting, and Satanick playfully bopped Ivlis on the tip of his nose with his waggling finger, giggling at Ivlis’s agitation. He stared at Ivlis’s face for a while, which made the flame devil a bit concerned why he was staring at him like that. He instinctively backed away.

“What?” Ivlis asked, fearing the answer as Satanick’s eyes scanned around Ivlis’s eyes.

“Hmmm,” Satanick hummed in thought. “Your eyes look a bit heavy, Buri-chan. You really must be tired.”

Ivlis couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no duh,” he huffed out. “Believe it or not, it’s a tiring job to raise a baby.” He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to stifle back a yawn as he realized just how tired he really was. His mouth soon opened wide as he couldn’t contain the escaping yawn. This only caused Satanick to laugh at him further, which further aggravated Ivlis. It was a never-ending cycle after all, wasn't it? Ivlis realized. 

Licorice’s soft coos soon turned to little yelps as he tried to reach forward for Satanick’s fingers again, which Satanick willingly obliged to give to the infant. Licorice’s eyes lit up as he began to gnaw on Satanick’s’ fingers delightfully. Satanick giggled at his child’s delight in such a simple happiness. “Ah, to be young,” Satanick sighed, as if reminiscing. “Nothing to worry about but being happy with the littlest things.”

Ivlis looked down at the ground, letting those words sink into his heart. To be young and carefree….

_The bright light that filled the world was so warm and comforting. Nothing but pure, unaltered sunshine filled the entire landscape that was the Land of Sun. Orange and yellow was all the little demon saw as he ran through the world hand in hand with his sister, her small golden waves bouncing around her face. Ivlis could still recall her giggles mingling with his own laughter. The warmth of the sun felt so good on his face, and he let the glow of it soak into his dark beige outfit that was only a tad shade darker than his sister’s matching one. The length of their outfits swished around their little legs as they ran across the wide expanse of the open Sun world._

_“Siralos-sama!” Ivlis called out, his voice reaching towards the man that stood afar off, watching his created children run freely in his world. “Watch us, watch us!”_

To this day, Ivlis could hear his own words echoing in his head as he imagined a simpler time where the man with orange eyes, red-rimmed glasses, and long flowing hair would smile at him. His heart ached at such childish wonder and fun, only to then feel his heart pierced all over again as light projectiles pierced his body, his wings were torn off, and the smile that would watch over his sister and him soon turned into one of smugness as he was cast out of the only home he knew.

_“I no longer need you. Fall deep into the darkness, and burn in disgraceful hellfire."_

The snapping of Satanick’s fingers in front of his face brought Ivlis back to reality. Ivlis could feel his breathing was a big ragged, and he felt sweat beaded on his face. He backed away slightly more, trying to compose himself; he hated that Satanick had seen him like this, lost in memories of the past that should not matter anymore. Yet, even though he didn’t want them to matter, Ivlis couldn’t help but still feel the pain.

“Hey, don’t daze off like that while standing,” Satanick snickered, though a bit of concern flickered across his features. “Come. I think both of you boys need to rest.” Satanick grasped onto Ivlis’s wrist, dragging him to the bed as he still cradled Licorice in his arm. Every time he approached Satanick’s bed, Ivlis dreaded it; the bed was only good for one thing in Satanick’s mind, wasn’t it? Though, with Licorice in hand, Ivlis could rest a bit easy, knowing that nothing could happen while the baby was here.

“Lie down, lie down,” Satanick insisted, letting go of Ivlis’s wrist to pat at the smooth, purple sheets. He then walked over to the other side of the large bed, sliding onto it, crossing his legs in front of him so he could form a personal cradle to settle Licorice into.

The large-eyed infant stared up at his father, beginning to get a bit temperamental again, whining out, “Ba,” and Satanick smiled down at him, brushing a finger across the little one’s cheek.

“Hush,” Satanick cooed down at Licorice. “It’s time to go back to bed.” As Licorice whined, Satanick looked over at Ivlis, who still stood at the edge of the bed, hesitating to even sit on the same bed as the devil lord. “Well, come on; you’re keeping us waiting, Buri.”

Still uneasy, Ivlis crawled onto the bed, sitting cross-legged next to Satanick. He couldn’t stand to see Licorice getting testy again, and he reached out his red, scaly hand to gently pat the baby’s forehead, hoping to soothe him. As Ivlis rubbed Licorice’s head, the infant’s eyes starting to get droopy, the sweet sound of music began to play right next to Ivlis’s right ear. He turned his face from focusing on Licorice to see Satanick had acquired a shining, silver flute that he was blowing into. Melodious notes formed into a lullaby as his fingers gently moved along the body of the instrument. His eyes were closed in concentration, and from this angle, Ivlis swore Satanick looked almost…normal. As if he was a peaceful, caring man, and not the devil lord that had the capacity to torture or harm others.

Others? No, Ivlis realized. It was just him. He had never actually seen or heard of Satanick harming another person, not even in his own world. In fact, his subordinates seemed very loyal and familiar with him; not one of the ones Ivlis had seen seemed to be shaking in fear of this man.

_Just your luck, Ivlis,_ Ivlis told himself. _You’re the chosen whipping boy. Pride certainly has been your downfall._

_"Indeed. It is doubt that is your sin…Ivlis.”_

As the voice of Lord Siralos drifted through his mind and heart yet again, Ivlis could feel his eyes, heart, and mind beginning to get heavy. As Ivlis allowed himself to close his eyes, he felt himself slowly lowering himself onto the pillows as his hand slipped off Licorice’s little head. No longer did the child whine. The only sound that filled the room was the notes of Satanick’s lovely lullaby; it was the last thing Ivlis remembered as he peacefully drifted off with the black tendrils of the past wrapped around his heart and mind.


	5. Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since posting on this one. Thank you for your patience. I go back and forth with so many ideas and things in the fandom. But a little more wholesome chapter for you all. :)
> 
> Edit 8/9/2020: Soooo happy with this adorable art from Yume Shirokuro. Please got check this art out of Crea with baby Licorice. <3 And go check out Yume in the links below. Thank you, friend!  
> https://twitter.com/rosedarkling/status/1283873306039455744
> 
> Yume's Twitter: https://twitter.com/YShirokuro and  
> Yume's Tumblr: https://yume-shirokuro.tumblr.com/

The distant giggling sound of children greeted Ivlis as he opened his eyes. Taking a minute to register where he was, his eyes heavy with sleep, Ivlis realized the purple curtains around him on this large bed did not belong to him. With a gasp, Ivlis sat up quickly, looking down at himself – a routine he was so used to by now to make sure he had some clothing on. He sighed in relief, seeing he did. As he recalled the events of yesterday, he remembered that he had fallen asleep listening to Satanick playing that instrument. He was surprised that Satanick knew how to do actually play the flute so beautifully. Then again, he didn’t know too much about Satanick, nor did he really want to learn. After all, the demon was clearly older than him by at least a few decades, if not centuries. Surely he had learned quite a few talents in his immortal lifetime.

Sighing, Ivlis shook off these thoughts. Now was not the time to be thinking about that man and his hidden skills; Ivlis had to find Licorice. Anxiety propelling him onward, Ivlis slid off the silky smooth sheets of the bed, gazing around the room at any sign of Satanick or the baby. The toys still lie scattered on the colorful, plush mat that Satanick had summoned here, presumably for Licorice’s comfort while playing on the floor, though Ivlis hoped that wouldn’t stay there for long. The longer it sat there, the longer he feared that meant he would be staying in this horrible place. Turning on his heel, Ivlis strode towards the double doors of the bedroom, opening them wide. Just in time, the giggle of a child could be heard echoing down the hallway, and Ivlis hurriedly followed the sound towards the main entrance of the castle.

Rounding the corner, Ivlis caught sight of double doors to his left that probably led to a sitting room of sorts. Following the sound of children – wait, more than one? – Ivlis grasped the handles of the doors, pushing them wide open. Several pairs of eyes turned to greet him, and Ivlis stared at the scene in front of him. The room was lit quite well, and the natural lighting from the morning shone through the windows in the front of the room. Sitting on a sofa was Satanick, sitting with one leg crossed over the other. His right arm resting on the back of the couch, his head in hand, those painted fingernails nestled in his dark hair. He smiled slyly seeing Ivlis barge into the room like this.

The other pair of eyes that greeted Ivlis was much more innocent than Satanick’s. The stitched up little girl from yesterday – _Crea, was her name, right?_ Ivlis thought – stared at him with those big, button-like eyes. She was kneeling on the floor in front of Licorice, who had turned to look at the sudden noise. His big orange-yellow eyes gazed at Ivlis at first in surprise at the new person, only to soon have a sweet, little smile spread across his tiny face.

“Mama!” Licorice called out, giggling. He turned his little body around from facing Crea, flopping onto his stomach for a moment, before he pushed himself up onto his knees, bouncing repeatedly on his butt, reaching his little hands towards Ivlis. “Mama, Mama!”

Finally processing the scene in front of him, Ivlis removed himself from the doorway, heading over to pick up the infant that was clearly begging for him. Licorice continued to giggle as he clung to Ivlis’s jacket, cooing in peaceful innocence as he buried his face into Ivlis’s coat. Seeing his son so affectionate, Ivlis couldn’t help but smile down at the little one that genuinely cared for him. Even if it felt like he was alone at times in this cruel world, Ivlis could take some comfort in knowing that Licorice relied on him, asking only for love and care in return.

Feeling a tug at the bottom of his jacket, Ivlis glanced down at the deadpan face and black and green eyes of the Frankenstein child – that’s what Ivlis decided was what defined her with the way she looked almost put together like some creation.

“Excuse me?” Crea asked. She pointed up at the baby devil Ivlis was holding. Even her nails were painted black. _Does everyone in this world have to have their nails like this?_ Ivlis couldn’t help but wonder. He shook his head to dispel these wild thoughts that held no merit.

“What?” Ivlis asked, trying to sound somewhat friendly – after all, she was kid – though even he could tell his voice was a bit gruff so early in the morning. Plus, he was not really sure what to make of the girl. He hadn’t ever seen anyone like her before. He wasn’t quite sure if even a child like her could be trusted if she was living here in Satanick’s world, let alone living in his castle.

The girl didn’t seem bothered by Ivlis’s attitude, continuing on with her pointing. “Can I still play with him?” she asked, referring to Licorice.

“Yeah, Buri-chan, let the kiddos play together.”

Ivlis internally groaned hearing his voice. He looked up from Crea over towards Satanick, annoyed to hear his voice trying to coax him into obeying him. As early as it was, Ivlis did not want to have to deal with any of this, especially having to deal with the person he detested the most. Yet even in his annoyed state, Ivlis knew that right now the girl was not a threat to anyone, and certainly not to the baby that had been giggling just a few moments ago playing with her.

“Okay, fine,” Ivlis sighed, bending down. Crea backed up so Ivlis could place Licorice back down onto the floor in front of the small pile of toys. Crea kneeled down on the floor on the opposite side of the toys, picking up a stuffed bat that resembled the flame bats in Ivlis’s world. She squeezed the plushy gently as she moved her arm in a wave motion to make the fluffy, soft animal appear as if it were flying.

Licorice squealed in delight as his little hands grasped at the air for the bat. His childish giggles made Ivlis’s heart melt a bit. He wasn’t always sure what to think or make of the child he now had to raise, but seeing him in pure joy like this had him feeling almost…proud. At least Licorice was happy; that’s what was important right now.

Ivlis watched as Satanick stood up from the sofa he was relaxing on, approaching him. Ivlis naturally tensed up whenever this man came too close to him, though he tried not to show it in front of Crea or Licorice. Surely Satanick wouldn’t just steal him away to somewhere or do anything in front of the kids, would he?

_No, don’t be ridiculous_! his inner thoughts shouted at him. Yes, Satanick was a pervert, but he wasn’t that horrible.

When Satanick placed his hands on Ivlis’s hips, lifting him up high into the air, Ivlis’s eyes widened in surprise. This certainly wasn’t what he had expected; then again, he honestly wasn't sure what to expect from Satanick these days. Ivlis instinctively blushed in embarrassment as Satanick waved him around, emulating what Crea was doing with the plush toy.

“Look! I can make Buri fly, too, even if he doesn’t have wings,” Satanick jovially smiled, still swaying Ivlis back and forth.

Ivlis gritted his teeth, feeling the heat rise to his face at this horrifying stunt. Now the children’s eyes were focused on him, adding even further embarrassment to the flame devil. And what kind of jab was that about him not having any wings?! That comment really got under Ivlis’s skin, as it further drug up memories of him losing his red and orange wings that he used to have before….

Ivlis shut down the thoughts before they could further torment his heart, instead focusing his heated emotions towards Satanick – the one causing all of these problems. “Hey, quit it! Put me down!” Ivlis reached down, placing his red, scaled hands on Satanick’s wrists that still were placed upon his hips. Ivlis attempted to wiggle out of his grasp, soon finding it was futile while being played around like this.

The delightful giggle of Licorice had Ivlis focusing his attention on the infant, seeing him reaching up as if to grab Ivlis from Satanick’s hands. “Mama! Ba!” he called out happily for both parents. Crea had a small smile on her face watching this display. Somehow or another, as humiliating as this was, Ivlis found the scene almost…joyful. Though, he could not put his finger on whose joy it really was – Licorice’s or his own.


	6. Mama Buri, Babysitter Crea

The day seemed to drag on while also feeling sped up; it was a strange sensation for Ivlis. He watched as Crea played with Licorice throughout the entire day. For a girl that appeared quite young, she seemed to be much older at times with her knowledge on how to handle an infant. Ivlis wondered if maybe she had experience with other children in this world, or maybe she was older than she appeared. After all, this was a world of demons and all other immortal creatures; surely this girl was no exception.

Ivlis was drug around by Satanick practically around the entire castle and its grounds, though he tried not to protest much, since he wanted to personally keep an eye on Licorice, too. Crea skipped around throughout the garden beds, pointing out the various flowers she had helped plant, and Ivlis nodded each time she explained what each one was. Even he didn’t know what each one was called, yet this child spouted out knowledge like she was a walking encyclopedia. He had to admit, seeing all the colors and variety of the plants was fascinating to Ivlis. Never before had he seen such colors, especially in his world; it was honestly amazing this world that seemed so bleak at times had such beauty in it. Perhaps it just appeared dull to Ivlis in his clouded mind. He tried to keep positive throughout the day, not speaking much, though. Satanick tried to get him to join in on conversations, and Ivlis complied every now and then, a bit on edge of what the man would do if he didn’t obey.

Finally, now able to take a rest - sitting down on the floor of Crea’s room - Ivlis let out a sigh as he felt his tired legs and feet beginning to throb. Did children really have no end to their energy? Even when Licorice had fallen asleep and taken his naps on their walks, Crea continued to give Ivlis an impromptu tour of the place she called home. Satanick and him had taken turns holding Licorice while he slept. Ivlis would glance at the devil lord every now and then, and he couldn’t help but feel an odd sensation watching this man being so gentle and careful with the baby. _Well, it was his after all_ , Ivlis reminded himself. Each time he thought that, he still felt a bit odd remembering that Licorice truly was the culmination of the two devils.

_How should I even feel about this?_ Ivlis still didn’t know after all these months.

Satanick carefully held Licorice, rotating him from a relaxed cradle in his arms to letting the babe rest his tiny head on his shoulder. Throughout the day, Satanick genuinely seemed to smile. Strange to see this sadistic man who ruled over an entire realm smile this way, or so Ivlis thought.

Shaking off these thoughts, Ivlis’s gaze wandered around the girly room. The floor was carpeted a mauve, pink color, and the entire aesthetic of the child’s room was decked out in blacks and pinks to match her attire. Plush toys, books, and other paraphernalia littered her room in various spots. It truly looked like this girl lived here – this was her very own room in this castle. In the center of the room sat Ivlis, with Crea sitting across from him, cross-legged. She had insisted on holding Licorice, to which Satanick obliged. It seemed like he doted on this girl, as if she was his own daughter. Ivlis suspected she couldn’t be; they looked nothing alike. Then again, Ivlis wasn’t sure how many children Satanick truly had over the centuries he’d been alive. The thought of that somewhat disturbed him.

Crea cradled Licorice, her small fingers stroking the back of the baby’s black hair, touching his curled horns every now and then. “Hey, his horns look like yours,” she commented to Ivlis, staring at him with those large eyes of hers. Licorice merely lie back in her arms, staring up at the girl as he sucked on a yellow pacifier.

“Uh huh,” Ivlis agreed in the simplest of utterances. He wasn’t quite sure where the girl was going with this open train of thought.

“But the color is more like Lord Devil’s. They also curl here –,” she pointed to the curved edges of Licorice’s one horn, “ – and here,” pointing at his other horn, “just like Lord Devil’s.”

Ivlis sighed internally, not wanting to show his dissatisfaction in front of the kid; just another reminder to him of Satanick. Thankfully, the man wasn’t in the room. He had gone off for a moment while the rest of the “party” – as he called it – retired to Crea’s room.

Crea must have noticed Ivlis’s lack of input or enthusiasm, frowning slightly at him. “Hey, you seem grumpy a lot, Mama Buri. Are you feeling okay?”

Mama Buri?

Had Ivlis heard that correctly? He blinked a few times, registering what the girl had just called him. “What?” was all he managed to ask. He felt stupid being left rendered almost speechless by a child.

“Well, you seemed a bit out of it. Are you tired from today?” The girl continued her line of reasoning and questions, not seeming to have noticed Ivlis’s confusion and shock on the new name she had called him. Ivlis was grateful Satanick wasn’t in the room to comment on this.

“Uh, yeah. I’m just tired is all.” Ivlis ran a hand through the top of his hair, hoping this would clear his head a bit more. “Sorry,” he found himself mumbling to the girl. He knew enough from Poemi not to take a little girl’s feelings too lightly, though Poemi would throw a tantrum and slaughter if things didn’t go her way. A quick correction from Papa was all it took to calm her down. Ivlis was thankful the little demon child of his was growing out of that phase. Ivlis couldn’t seem to see this Crea girl doing such a thing, even though he only knew very little about her or her everyday personality.

Crea smiled, seemingly pleased with Ivlis’s responses. “It’s been a long day. But I had fun with Lord Devil and you.” She looked back down at Licorice, who cooed up at her; this made Crea smile more. Ivlis couldn’t help but feel a tug on the corners of his own lips seeing how well the two of them were getting along. Perhaps children knew how to deal with each other than most adults did, he pondered.

Silence settled around them for a few minutes, interrupted only by the sucking and little noises from Licorice. For whatever reason, Crea’s words rang in Ivlis’s ears – Lord Devil. She didn’t call him Satanick like everyone else around here.

“Hey.” Ivlis broke the silence, looking towards the open bedroom door to see if Satanick was back yet. Thankfully, no trace of him showed. Ivlis continued with his question. “You keep calling him “Lord Devil.” Why is that?” The confused look Crea gave him had Ivlis thinking for a moment that maybe he had asked the wrong question.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve just always called him that. It’s his title, after all.” She looked upwards for a moment, as if in thought. “Plus, that’s what he taught me how to say when I was learning how to speak.”

Speak? So, Satanick seemed to know this girl from a young age then? Ivlis gathered that much. At least he could confirm for sure that this child was definitely not his. At least, not by blood. Ivlis recollected over the past hours at how fatherly and loving Satanick appeared to this girl – as if she truly was his own. Ivlis felt a part of his heart squeeze thinking this.

How could such a cruel, horrible man show such compassion?

The look on Ivlis’s face must have concerned the girl yet again, as she placed her hands on the floor, scooching her way closer in front of Ivlis’s own crossed legs. “Hey, if you’re sleepy, I’ll watch the devil baby for you if you want to nap.”

Nap? Really? Ivlis couldn’t’ help but find it comical that the girl had offered him a nap, as if he was a child himself. Just how old was this kid to act so mature like this? Where had she come from? Ivlis dismissed these sporadic thoughts as he stared down at her, eyes traveling across the stitched pattern that ran from the top of her head, down her nose, and to the bottom of her chin more to the left side of her face.

“A nap sounds like a great idea, Crea.”

Ivlis’s blood ran cold and he momentarily jumped, turning his head to see Satanick standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the doorframe. Satanick grinned at Ivlis, and Ivlis couldn’t help but feel trepidation creeping up his back.

“Does this mean that I can babysit Licorice?” Crea beamed over at Satanick. The idea of her getting to watch over the baby independently must have made her feel proud with the way a small smile creeped onto her face.

Ivlis opened his mouth to speak, but Satanick got the first word in – as always. “Of course you can, Crea. You’re the perfect candidate. Licorice seems to have really taken a liking to you, too.” Satanick grinned, seeing Licorice lying peacefully in Crea’s arms, his golden-orange eyes beginning to droop. “Look, even Lico is ready for a nap, too.”

“N – No.” Ivlis found himself fumbling out his feeble response. He noticed Crea’s smile start to fade a little, and for that, he couldn’t help but feel bad. But Ivlis had to speak what was on his mind; he feared being left alone with Satanick yet again. The longer he could avoid it, the better off he’d be. At least, that’s what he hoped.

“Oh, come now, Buri-chan,” Satanick insisted. He walked over towards the sitting pair, and Ivlis tensed up when Satanick placed his gloved, left hand on his right shoulder. “Don’t make Crea sad. Are you saying she won’t be a good babysitter?”

“I – I didn’t say that!” Ivlis protested. Using the kid as leverage now? _Wow_ , Ivlis thought. He couldn’t help but see things like that, though deep down, he had seen the way Satanick truly cared for Crea; even he didn’t want to make the child disheartened.

“Alright, then. So it’s settled.” Satanick beamed, smiling down at Crea joyfully. “Crea, you’re in charge of Licorice for the next few hours. He shouldn’t be a problem for you while he sleeps. If he gets hungry, call for Meduoco to help prepare him a bottle.”

Crea beamed up at Satanick and then back over to Ivlis. “It’s okay, Mama Buri. I promise to take really good care of your baby.”

“See? All is well, Mama Buri.” Ivlis hated that Satanick had to say his “title” like that, finally hearing Crea call him that name first hand. Squeezing Ivlis’s shoulder, Ivlis turned his face up to look at Satanick, who was giving him that signature, devilish grin. Ivlis’s heart began to sink as he realized that he would not be getting any rest with Satanick and his libido.

With a resigned close of his eyes, Ivlis pushed himself up off of the floor, allowing Satanick to slide his hand into his and begin walking him out of the room. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Crea lovingly look down at the sleeping infant in her arms, gently starting to rock him back and forth.

A child’s innocence; something Ivlis would never get to experience ever again.


	7. Sick

Ivlis huffed, feeling breathless as Satanick’s tongue slipped on his own, delving into every crevice in his mouth. Ivlis tried to hold back his moans and groans, not wanting Satanick to know how he was feeling, though his blush and his body could not hide the way his blood was pumping through him rapidly. “Mmm, ngh,” Ivlis groaned around Satanick’s mouth over his, using his hands to push against the top of Satanick’s bare chest underneath his unbuttoned shirt. He needed Satanick to back off; at this rate, Ivlis was losing oxygen. He tried to turn his face away to gasp in fresh air, though Satanick’s hands cupping his face made it difficult to fully escape. “S – Stop!” Ivlis gasped out, feeling both of their saliva mixing together as he forced his mouth away from Satanick’s. “I – I can’t breathe – like this.”

Satanick didn’t seem to care about that, merely snickering as he pulled Ivlis’s face back to his, sticking his tongue back into the flame devil’s moist mouth. He reveled in hearing Ivlis groan like this. Even his feeble attempts to push Satanick away turned him on more. Protest he might, but Satanick knew Ivlis was just as aroused by his advances. As he lie on top of Ivlis, his knees digging into the bed’s mattress, he could feel Ivlis’s pelvis pressing into his own. Despite the barrier of clothes between them, Satanick felt Ivlis’s excitement, and he chuckled more, thinking of his beloved roach all hot and bothered by him.

“Don’t be coy, Roachy,” Satanick whispered around Ivlis’s mouth. He slid his tongue from the corner of Ivlis’s mouth up his cheek to Ivlis’s pointed left ear. Satanick took the time to nibble on his earlobe before moving to the pointed tip of Ivlis’s ears. Each movement he made on the devil’s face, he felt Ivlis shudder beneath him, causing Satanick to smirk even further. “I know you want this, too. I can feel it, you know.” Satanick leaned on his right arm so he could slide his left hand to Ivlis’s crotch, cupping it. He laughed when Ivlis jerked underneath him, groaning. “See? So don’t fight it. Be a good boy, and spread your legs for me.”

Ivlis grunted, biting his lip as he began to feel the tears welling up again. He loathed how this man could make him feel this way and say such filthy things. Around Licorice and others, he was perfectly tame, but now alone, Ivlis saw this perverted side to him – a side only he saw first-hand. “N – No,” Ivlis denied Satanick. “I don’t want this.”

Satanick merely chuckled, giving Ivlis’s crotch a squeeze to see the flame devil jump again as he flung his head back, mouth agape in a silent gasp of pleasure. Those blushing, pink cheeks certainly told a different story. Ivlis’s claws dug into Satanick’s bedsheets now, holding himself as steady as he could to fight off these feelings raging through his being. “Don’t lie to me, Buri-chan. Hey, if you keep this up, you might end up getting so turned on you’ll end up pregnant again.” Satanick trailed kisses down the side of Ivlis’s neck into the crook of his shoulder, nibbling at his skin. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To be begging for another child of mine.”

Ivlis hiccupped back his tears, knowing at this point that Satanick wasn’t going to stop. Pleading did no good anyway. He had begged and yelled so many times for Satanick to stop, but he never did. At this point, Ivlis should have gotten used to this, or so he told himself. But no matter how many times this cycle continued, Ivlis still couldn’t give up the few shreds of dignity and pride he clung to.

“N – Never!” he cried out. “I’ll never want that!”

Satanick tsked with his tongue. “Oh, roaches are terrible liars, too. You love when I do this, Ivlis. I have several videos as proof.” Satanick chuckled under his breath as he started to rip at Ivlis’s clothes, his hands roaming and groping at every part of him. As Ivlis let the tears fall, he tried to shut out the thoughts and feelings as Satanick had his fun as usual. Even when Satanick slid his both of hands into Ivlis’s, Ivlis tried not to find any satisfaction of being held close, those whispered lies of Satanick’s in his ears.

Soon, the two lie there in a heap, Satanick holding his weight up on his arms, slightly sweating from all the exertion, while Ivlis tried to catch his breath. The devil rolled over onto his side, smirking at Ivlis’s reddened face. “So, still want to say you didn’t have fun?”

Ivlis kept quiet, turning his back on Satanick, not wanting to listen to him, let alone look at him. He crossed his arms over his chest, not wanting to speak to the man that always had him feeling so confused, hurt, and – dare he even think it – pleasured.

_Disgusting,_ Ivlis thought – about the situation he was in and about himself. He shuddered when he felt Satanick pulling him back into his arms, his back against his chest.

“Come on, Roachykins,” Satanick whispered in his ear. “Every couple should cuddle afterwards. I’ll be the big spoon, and you can be the little spoon.”

“We are **not** a couple,” Ivlis hissed. He pushed his hand down on Satanick’s arm that was snaked around his waist, but that did nothing to deter the devil lord from continuing to hug him. Ivlis sighed, knowing it was useless to try to get Satanick to change his mind.

Then again, it did feel nice to be hugged….

Ivlis woke up to the knocking on the wooden door. Still groggy, he cracked his eyes open to see Satanick sliding on his black pants, buckling them up as he strode over to his bedroom door. It took a moment for him to register that he had actually fallen asleep in Satanick’s arms. Honestly, he wasn’t sure what to make of that. He had to stop getting so comfortable here.

The feminine voice on the opposite side of the door snapped Ivlis out of his own thoughts – grateful for that – and he pushed himself up on his left arm to get a better listen to what the early morning interruption was.

Morning? He had slept all night here with this man? Ivlis sighed at this realization.

“Lord Devil, I’m so sorry to wake you up so early, but your baby is ill.”

Wait, what?

Ivlis couldn’t help but feel his sleepiness fade away hearing those words. Licorice was sick? He pushed himself up to a sitting position, able to see that snake-haired woman standing in the doorway underneath Satanick’s propped up arm along the edge of the other double door. Meduoco, wasn’t it? Ivlis assumed she must be some sort of housekeeper or something if she was always here in Satanick’s castle. But that didn’t matter; right now, Licorice’s well-being did.

Satanick simply nodded. “Okay, take me to him.” Satanick slid out of the doorway, not even caring that he didn’t have a shirt on. Ivlis was surprised at Satanick’s quick response to this. Ivlis quickly slid out from underneath the sheets, gathering up his clothes. Getting dressed as fast as he could, albeit it stumbling a few times while he walked, buckled, and buttoned on the way down the hall to Crea’s room, seeing Satanick a few steps ahead of him.

Entering the room, Ivlis saw Satanick kneeling beside Crea’s bed; Meduoco stood off to the side behind Satanick, her hands resting clasped in front of her. Crea was kneeling on her bed in a black, short-sleeve nightgown, holding Licorice’s little hand. Concern was clearly written on her brow as she frowned down at the baby devil, whom was resting next to her. Small tears could be seen along the bottom of her eyelashes, and Ivlis found himself a tad more worried, wondering why the girl was so upset. Ivlis strode into the room, approaching the edge of the bed. His eyes went right to Licorice. He was still sleeping, though his little cheeks were red and his breathing seemed a bit rougher. A streak of drool leaked out of the corner of his mouth as he slept in somewhat peaceful bliss. A small, cold towel was resting across his brow.

“He has a fever.”

Ivlis looked over at Crea, who quietly mumbled out what was wrong, her voice sounding a bit choked. She turned her eyes up towards Ivlis and then over towards Satanick. She seemed remorseful.

“Mama Buri, Devil Lord, I’m so sorry,” she continued. “I was supposed to be a good babysitter, but now Licorice is sick.”

Satanick let out a light-hearted chuckle. “Oh, Crea, no.” He reached out, placing a hand gently onto her head, patting her hair gently. “This has nothing to do with that. You did a fantastic job babysitting. Babies get sick often. It’s no big deal.”

Crea silently nodded, as if to confirm she understood what was being told. Satanick continued to comfort her, sliding a hand down to her back to gently rub it. If Ivlis didn’t know any better, he could swear Satanick was acting like her real father. Yet again, he was so tender to everyone else but him.

“Right, Mama Buri?” Satanick had turned his gaze up towards Ivlis, who blinked down at him a few times, trying to remember what exactly was going on. “Crea did a great job, didn’t she?” Satanick prompted.

Ivlis looked back at the girl, who stared at Ivlis with those button-like eyes. He sighed, knowing it wasn’t the little girl’s fault whatsoever. He offered a tiny smile to her that he was able to muster. “Yeah, you did good, Crea. Thank you for watching him.”

Crea smiled a bit more, using the back of her stitched hand to wipe at her tears.

With a final pat to Crea’s head, Satanick stood up. Even his height was a domineering presence over Ivlis. Gentle, yet rough; comical, yet serious. So many sides to Satanick that just didn’t seem to meld together. _What a contradictory devil_ , Ivlis thought.

Satanick bent over to scoop up Licorice into his arms, and the babe whined slightly at the disturbance. Satanick turned towards Ivlis, pushing Licorice into Ivlis’s arms, which he instinctively raised in a cradling hold, seeing Licorice pressed into his chest. “Take him to the bedroom. I’ll go get him a bottle.” With purpose, Satanick strode out of the room, disappearing around the corner, leaving Ivlis standing there in mild annoyance that he was so brash at times.

Ivlis looked down at Licorice, feeling a bit sorry for the child having to fight off a fever. He then raised his eyes to look at Meduoco and Crea, who both were staring at him, as if expecting something from him. Embarrassed that eyes were now on him, Ivlis simply nodded, muttering at quick, “Thanks.” He turned on his heel to head back down the hallway to Satanick’s room. As much as he hated being here – especially in that single space he was too familiar with these days – he knew it was best not to argue with the devil about wanting to take Licorice back to the Flame Underworld. Perhaps it would be fine to let Satanick help out – just a little bit?

Even thinking that made Ivlis feel a bit uncomfortable, knowing that the longer Licorice stay here, the longer he would stay, as well. Glancing down at Licorice’s face, Ivlis felt his heart soften a bit more. Surely he could endure being in Satanick’s presence just a bit longer. For Licorice’s sake.

Yet, staring at the infant’s black hair and purple horns, Ivlis couldn’t help but be reminded of that man.


	8. Happy Little Moments

Ivlis entered Satanick’s room, finding himself taking a seat on the edge of the bed, staring at the open door he just came through. Licorice still lie cradled in his arms, fast asleep despite the occasional whine. Ivlis didn’t like seeing Licorice ill, but he was used to this; infants did get sick easily. As he pondered what the next best course of action would be to take, part of him internally screamed to just leave – to get out of here with Licorice while Satanick was preoccupied in the kitchen getting the baby a new bottle. That would have been the logical, smart thing to do, Ivlis reasoned. He didn’t want to stay here, and being on the edge of Satanick’s bed only reminded him of the night he spent here. Ivlis looked behind him slightly at the wrinkled sheets, somewhat stained by the fluids the two of them shared.

Sickened at seeing this yet again, Ivlis groaned as his stomach churned, ripping his gaze from the sheets. Yes, he surely had to get out of this place; the sooner the better. Even if Licorice was sick, Ivlis scolded himself about delaying his escape.

_What are you doing? You’re blowing it! Now’s your chance to get away from him!_

Ivlis’s body desperately wanted to bolt of here with Licorice; he could feel the adrenaline pumping in his chest and legs to get moving. Surely if he left with the baby, it would be fine, right? Satanick wouldn’t possibly come after them if Ivlis had a sick child to take care of, right? That’s what Ivlis reasoned, at least.

Even so, he knew that despite his innate desire to leave this place once again, he couldn’t just bring himself to leave. He questioned himself, screaming out the question of why inside his mind. Gazing back at Licorice, Ivlis tried to convince himself that the sleeping infant was the reason; the only reason. But even still, why could Ivlis not stop thinking about Satanick’s mouth on his last night? His cheeks began to feel hot, and he shook his head to dispel these thoughts.

“Get a grip,” he whispered out loud, knowing that Licorice would never understand what he was saying.

“Get a grip on what?”

Ivlis slightly jumped at the sound of Satanick’s voice, embarrassed that this man had heard him monologuing to himself. The red on his cheeks deepened, and Satanick chuckled as he stood in the doorway. Even standing there with a bottle of formula in his hand and no shirt on, Satanick still seemed to exude a presence over Ivlis that he feared would never fade.

“N – Nothing,” Ivlis denied, turning his gaze away from that man to focus on Licorice, who had begun to crack open his large, golden-orange eyes. Now he felt bad about having gotten so lost in thought enough to be startled and wake poor Licorice up. Ivlis sighed, fearing that once again it would be another sleepless day and night for him. As Licorice began to whine, Ivlis gently began to rock him in his arms, shushing him the best he could.

Ivlis looked up when he noticed a shadow over him; of course it was Satanick. He smiled down at Ivlis, bending down to scoop Licorice right out from his arms. “What are you doing?” Ivlis instinctively asked. Satanick didn’t answer right away, instead keeping his attention focused on the whining infant placed in the crook of his left arm. Spinning around to sit close to Ivlis – Ivlis slightly moved over towards the top of the bed to make more distance between the two of them – Satanick placed the tip of the bottle at Licorice’s mouth. So, words didn't need to be said; he was simply feeding the baby - no harm in that, right? Licorice eagerly took the prompt, his little tears beginning to dry up as he began gulping down the formula. His little hands gripped onto the bottle as his eyes slowly began to drift closed again, the tears at the edges of his eyes beginning to disappear. All Ivlis could do was watch as Satanick held Licorice close to his chest.

Watching Satanick’s face, Ivlis could swear he saw that air of sweetness and care for the baby. Those deep purple eyes were hooded by his own tired eyelids – Ivlis could see Satanick was feeling the sleepiness, as well. Even as his black bangs hung over his face, Ivlis could see the attention he gave to his son.

Ivlis didn’t dare speak or more lest he disturb Licorice again or even Satanick to alert him to his presence still being there. But sitting here in the silence – the only sound being Licorice’s sucking and gulping on the bottle – Ivlis soon found his eyes wanting to drift closed again. He soon blinked a couple of times to wake himself up as he watched Satanick slowly slide the nipple of the bottle out of Licorice’s mouth; the baby was once again sleeping peacefully, a thin line of formula leaking out of the corner of his mouth onto Satanick’s chest. As Licorice’s breathing returned to a steady pace, Satanick smiled as he looked towards Ivlis, tossing the empty bottle at him. Ivlis raised his hands to catch it, fumbling a bit at this sudden reaction. Ivlis was then met face-first with the wet towel that had been placed on Licorice’s head to help his fever cool down. Ivlis gasped at the sudden slap of the towel right in his face, and he could hear Satanick chuckling at his embarrassment.

As Ivlis pulled the towel off of his face, he saw Satanick leaning forward, Licorice now perched in his arms with the babe’s small head resting in Satanick’s right hand, Licorice’s whole body resting across his left arm, which was resting on his thighs. Even Satanick’s nimble fingers and hands seemed so large compared to the baby. It was hard for Ivlis not to worry for Licorice at times when he knew all too well what those hands were capable of. Yet seeing Satanick press his own forehead to Licorice’s, Ivlis could see that even this cruel devil lord cared for their child. Eyes closed as if in thought as he had his forehead resting against Licorice’s, Satanick soon pulled his head back up, giving a smile towards Ivlis. Those purple bedroom eyes sent a strange sensation through Ivlis as he wondered just how in the world this man could be so irritatingly calm yet smug all in one. 

“His fever’s going down now,” Satanick announced with a grin. Ivlis breathed a sigh of relief at that. Of course he knew Licorice would be fine; it was only a small fever, after all. Still, hearing that he was recovering made some of the anxiety Ivlis was feeling disappear. Satanick must have noticed, as he chuckled at Ivlis once again. “You worry too much, Buri-chan. Though, I suppose that’s what mothers do.”

Typical Satanick, Ivlis thought with a roll of his eyes. Honestly, he was too tired to deal with Satanick’s sarcastic remarks at this point. However, he was grateful that Satanick appeared a bit wore out to really tease him as much.

Lying back on the crumbled sheets, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed so his feet were touching the floor, Satanick placed Licorice onto his chest so the baby was resting on him. He placed his right hand on the baby’s back to hold him in place as Licorice continued to rest. Turning his face towards Ivlis, his black hair mussed up on the sheets, Satanick reached his free hand out to Ivlis on the sheets. “Come on. Lie down with me.”

Was Satanick seriously so tired that he wasn’t going to hurt him again? Ivlis realized he must also be exhausted to find this man almost…charming?...to be reaching out to him to just lie next to him. Surely there was no strings attached right now, right? After all, Licorice was right there. As Ivlis looked at the invitation Satanick presented to him, he slowly lowered himself onto his right side, sinking into the pillows as he stared at Satanick’s smiling face – those bedroom eyes beginning to look dull with sleep as he lightly grinned at the obedient flame devil. “Good boy,” Satanick whispered to Ivlis, and the devil found himself feeling a tingling sensation running down his back hearing Satanick say those same words – words that he normally used when he was trying to coax Ivlis into doing things he hated – in such a calm setting. Sure, Ivlis was disgusted by being in this bed, having to see and smell the scents of the previous night, but sleep felt like such a blessing right now, even if it was near Satanick.

As Ivlis drifted off to sleep, he felt Satanick’s left hand reach out to clasp onto his that hung out in front of him. Instinct told Ivlis to pull away, but the comfort of holding hands with someone while he drifted off was too inviting to reject.

Once again, Ivlis found himself woken up by noise, but also with a hint of taps on his face. Groaning, Ivlis opened his eyes to see Licorice’s tiny face over his, giggling. His little hand patted at Ivlis’s face, grasping at his skin every now and then. Ivlis winced when those little nails and fingers dug a bit too deep into his skin. That didn’t deter Licorice as he continued to tap Ivlis playfully. “Mama, mama,” the child giggled.

Ivlis raised his right arm up to protect his face from the onslaught of Licorice. “Okay, okay, I’m up,” he whined with a loud yawn, which only made Licorice giggle more and speed up his little taps, now with both hands. Ivlis smiled as he felt Licorice speeding up his play, realizing that the child must be feeling well enough if he could wake Ivlis up like this. Feeling a bit more refreshed thanks to the rest, Ivlis found himself sitting up, gently pushing Licorice onto his back onto the bed. The baby shrilled in glee as Ivlis began to tickle him, a spirited smile on his lips. Ivlis gave a light chuckle back upon seeing Licorice’s large, smiling face and sparkling, large eyes as he enjoyed this early morning with his mother.

Ivlis was so focused on Licorice, he barely registered when Satanick came up behind him, his hands grasping onto Ivlis’s hipbones to begin tickling him from behind. Ivlis immediately straightened up in shock before naturally curling up to avoid being tickled. His cheeks began to burn a bright red – as did his hair – at the sudden surprise attack. Ivlis tucked into himself and rolled over to his left so as to not fall onto Licorice. He found himself staring up into the impish grin of Satanick standing over him, trying to continue his tirade. Ivlis tried to stifle back the reaction of wanting to laugh – he hated that this man knew exactly where he was ticklish after all of the exploring his hands had done on his body. He managed to choke out a weak, “S – Stop,” as his voice threatened to crack with a chuckle of his own. No way did he want to give in and laugh in front of Satanick! He wanted to maintain some dignity, after all.

Satanick continued his tickle tirade, and Licorice giggled, bouncing up and down as he watched his parents. “Ba!” he called out, pointing at Satanick. “Ba, Mama!”

Satanick continued, chuckling down at the squirming Ivlis. So badly did Ivlis want to slam his boot into Satanick’s gut to push him away, but he didn’t want to risk doing anything in front of Licorice lest Satanick retaliate back. Ivlis merely held his sides as he stifled back the jittery feelings rolling through his sides. The only reaction was that of his hair becoming brighter, which was quite obvious to see.

A light knocking sound could be heard over Licorice’s and Satanick’s chuckles – though Licorice’s cries of joy were more ear-piercing. Turning around and finally giving Ivlis a moment to breathe, Satanick smiled at the two-toned hair and big, green eyes of Crea, who was standing there in her black nightgown. She had her hand raised to knock against the open door. Her large eyes questioned the scene in front of her with a placid yet concerned expression. “What’s going on? Is Licorice better now?” she asked, taking inventory of the bouncing baby on the bed.

Satanick gave her a large smile. “Yes, Crea; he’s all better now. Nothing like a good night’s rest to help.”

Crea’s smile returned to her face, relieved to see and hear the happy baby once again. “Good. I’m glad.” Walking into the room, Crea purposefully strode over to the bed, hoisting herself up with her small arms. For a child, Ivlis could see she had quite the strength about her. Ivlis slowly sat up with the help of his elbows and arms, still holding his sides lest Satanick try his tricks again. Ivlis also took stock of Licorice cheerfully reaching out for Crea, and she sat in front of the baby, her legs tucked underneath her long nightgown. She reached out to rub Licorice’s head, and the baby reached up his plump, little hands to grip onto her fingers with glee, still bouncing.

It made Ivlis feel strange to see the two children getting along so well. He didn’t know much about this girl or where she came from – or even what she was supposed to be, for that matter – but Ivlis felt…happy to see that Licorice was pleased with this girl, and that she seemed to really care for Licorice, too. Ivlis let a small smile curl onto his lips a bit.

His smile soon faded as he felt himself being lifted up once again by the waist, only this time to be flung over Satanick’s right shoulder. Ivlis’s eyes widened, and his heart began to race. “Wh – What are you doing, you lunatic?!” he began. “Put me down!” He began to wiggle, but Satanick kept a firm grip around Ivlis’s waist.

Crea looked up at the commotion, Licorice pointing at Ivlis’s legs that he could see wiggling in Satanick's grip. “Mama,” the young boy stated.

Satanick gave a calm smile to the children. “Crea, can you please take care of Licorice again? Just for a little bit? Mama Buri needs a bath.”

“I **what**?!” Ivlis practically snarled, his face growing bright red again with his hair. Ivlis could only imagine what demented things Satanick wanted from him now. Did this man constantly have sex on the brain?! Silently hoping that Crea would deny Satanick’s request to be the personal caretaker again, Ivlis continued to wriggle, pushing against Satanick’s back to try to give him more leverage.

Crea’s cheerful words from behind him made Ivlis hate this whole thing all over again. “I can do that, Lord Devil! Will Licorice be okay now?” She looked back at Licorice, then back to Satanick for confirmation that it was okay for her to watch Licorice so soon after his bout with a fever.

Satanick chuckled, ruffling Crea’s hair with his left hand as he slightly turned to head out with his reluctant lover. “Of course, Crea; you’re my number one babysitter.” Ivlis had swiveled his head enough to see the girl’s beaming face, and he internally groaned. He couldn’t just deny the girl again, could he? But he also didn’t want to have to be Satanick’s sex toy anytime the man willed it!

As Ivlis was lost in panicked thought, he realized Satanick had begun making his way out of the room. The last thing he saw before he was whisked away was Crea happily bouncing on her tucked legs, hand in hand with Licorice as he bounced along with her, the both of them giggling and smiling. Ivlis groaned out loud now. He tensed up when he felt Satanick use his right hand that was on his hip to begin clenching at Ivlis’s buttocks, that sly snicker of his piercing through Ivlis’s heart.

Were all of these happy little moments worth putting up with this abuse?


	9. Bath Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!: I increased the rating on this fic from Mature to Explicit just cuz of the one scene at the end that might be considered a bit more explicit than usual. Just a heads-up. :P 
> 
> Sorry this took so long! I've got so many ideas on the brain and multiple fics I'm working on while returning to the real world work force, lol. :P 
> 
> But don't worry; I won't forget to add more to these fics. Thank you for waiting! <3

As Ivlis was brought into the large and lavish bathroom, he had begun to struggle more, pushing against Satanick a bit more roughly and even kicking his feet to throw him off balance. None of that worked against Satanick, though; he continued on as if it was normal. Anytime he gripped Ivlis’s bottom, he enjoyed listening to Ivlis’s protests and feeling the tension that Ivlis would give off. Ivlis could never go against him; even his weak attempts to “escape” was evidence enough for Satanick to know that Ivlis really wouldn’t fight back. Sliding the flame devil off of his shoulder and onto his feet, Ivlis began backing away from the devil, soon finding that even with the large design of this room, there was only one way out – the door through which Satanick had brought him. Satanick flipped the lock shut with a quick flick of his wrist, smirking at the clearly uncomfortable flame devil.

Satanick began unbuckling his pants, and Ivlis visibly gulped. Satanick chuckled as he watched Ivlis’s knees begin to shake, backing himself to the edge of the large tub that sat against the right wall of the room. Ivlis practically tripped backwards into the tub, wobbling as he tried to regain his footing. With his arms swinging to regroup, Satanick easily reached out, grasping onto one of Ivlis’s wrists to catch him. The flame devil’s eyes widened as he was pulled into Satanick’s bare chest, the man smiling gleefully into Ivlis’s sharking, golden orbs. Satanick’s’ free arm wrapped around Ivlis’s waist to hold him close.

“You need to be more careful, Roachy,” Satanick cooed, snickering at Ivlis’s fear and embarrassment. “Now, come on – get undressed. You surely can’t bathe in your clothes.”

“Wh – What are you talking about?” Ivlis stammered, and Satanick watched those lips trying to form words. How Satanick loved those lips – to kiss, to nibble, to bite. Satanick smirked, remembering all of the times he had used those lips to his advantage in both the realms of pain and pleasure.

“I told you, Buri,” Satanick said with a light sigh. “You need a bath.”

Ivlis stared with large eyes at Satanick’s odd requests – rather, his demands. Satanick never asked for things; he merely told people what to do. “What are you, crazy?!” Ivlis denied him. “This is just another rouse of yours to rape me! Now cut it out!”

Those words didn’t seem to put a dent in Satanick’s imp demeanor, as he continued to chuckle. “Come on, Buri. Trust me. Dirty boys need to get clean.”

“You’re the filthy one! Pig!” Ivlis retorted. His hair began to change to that bright orange color Satanick loved to see whenever Ivlis would get angry. This shade also was highly known to him whenever Ivlis would climax, and Satanick giggled at that thought. His internal thoughts but outward response seemed to disturb the flame devil even more. Ivlis attempted to yank his right wrist out of Satanick’s grip, but the man just squeezed more. Ivlis gritted his teeth in frustration, wincing a bit at the pain as Satanick continued to tighten his grip. “Stop it! Let go!”

Satanick lowered his face to Ivlis’s, loving the spark he saw in this devil. “Come now, Roachy,” his warm breath on Ivlis’s face. “You have nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. So be good, and strip.” Satanick leaned in even closer, whispering into Ivlis’s right ear. “Or I’ll do it for you.”

Ivlis shuddered feeling this man’s breath on his skin once again, whispering these disgusting demands and threats. Ivlis felt ill as he lowered his gaze and – Satanick seemingly pleased with his response –released Ivlis’s grip so he could begin unbuttoning his shirt, sliding it off of his shoulders and arms. He tossed it aside at the front wall a bit roughly. He didn’t care that Satanick snickered; he was already feeling shamed being put into his predicament. Soon, Ivlis was standing there, naked, clutching onto his own arms as he crossed them over his scarred chest. _As if that will do any good,_ he huffed inside his mind. After being seen like this so many times by Satanick, he still felt embarrassed.

Satanick grinned as he looked up and down Ivlis’s form. He loved seeing this flame devil’s petite, almost feminine form. So slender and meek, but also showing his manliness. The various scars that littered the flame devil’s chest reminded Satanick of the various times he had given Ivlis some of those scars. It had been quite a while since he had inflicted some of them; almost as if looking over a patchwork of memories.

With the snap of his fingers, the knobs on the tub began to turn, spilling out warm water to begin filling the depths of the large tub. The slight steam off the hot warm began to fill the air behind Ivlis. Satanick easily slid off his pants, tossing them into the pile with Ivlis’s. Giggling, Satanick pulled back from Ivlis, now taking him by the hand towards the back left corner of the room towards the large glass shower. Ivlis wanted to resist – to dig his heels into linoleum tile somehow, but he knew it would be useless. Opening the glass door to the shower, Satanick snapped his fingers to turn off the hot water filling the bathtub, now manually switching on the shower to begin spouting out the same warm water. He tugged Ivlis in with him, allowing the water to quickly drench both devils as he slammed the door closed, the two now stuck in this somewhat spacious area together. Ivlis felt extremely uncomfortable in here with this devil, avoiding Satanick’s eyes as the man began running his hands over Ivlis’s long, wet hair – he slid the tie of his ponytail out, some strands getting caught in it and yanking on Ivlis’s hair. Ivlis winced at this, but Satanick just tossed it to the bottom of the floor below.

“What – What are you doing?” Ivlis finally asked, finding his voice that had fled once again at such a sudden change. 

“What’s it look like?” Satanick said matter-of-factly with that signature grin of his. “We gotta get your hair all wet in order to wash you, right?”

Seriously? Ivlis stayed completely still as he allowed Satanick to begin washing his hair with whatever products he had nearby. Ivlis stared down at the water that flowed down his body and down the drain. He tried not to think about Satanick’s fingers combing through his hair, massaging his scalp, and then at his body. He closed his eyes, hoping that this would shut out these strange sensations he was feeling, but this only seemed to heighten them. He felt disgusted that another man was seriously bathing him, let alone it was his tormentor being the one to do this. After what felt like forever, Ivlis turned away from Satanick once he began washing himself. And was he seriously humming a tune to himself too?! Ivlis internally groaned at this, wondering how Satanick could be so chipper in a situation like this. Though, he supposed he was the only one suffering in this situation – Satanick himself seemed to be having a grand time.

The water turning off and the steady dripping of the water off of their bodies was the indication Ivlis needed to realize that the ordeal was finally over. He breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that Satanick hadn’t really done much to him aside from make him extremely uncomfortable. Ivlis looked down at Satanick once again gripping his red, scaled hand in his with his pale white one as he dragged Ivlis out of the shower and back over to the bathtub. He positioned Ivlis in front of him so that Ivlis’s back was towards the edge of the tub.

“Tada ~!” Satanick sang out, not caring that the floor was literally getting saturated with the two of them dripping there. “Now you’re all clean, Buri-chan! Now you get to relax in the nice, warm tub with me. Isn’t that grand?”

He stepped forward towards a visibly shaken Ivlis, gripping onto the man’s hips. He chuckled seeing Ivlis squirm at this – his ticklish flame devil. Satanick pressed his bare front against Ivlis, placing his chin into the crook of Ivlis’s left neck and shoulder. He stared down at Ivlis’s bare back, watching the devil’s red tail flick back and forth in anxiety and anticipation. Smirking to an unbeknownst Ivlis, Satanick slid his left arm around Ivlis’s waist to hold him still while his right hand reached behind the flame devil to pinch the tip of his tail near his body.

Ivlis immediately tensed up while also feeling a tingling sensation run throughout his body as Satanick ran his pinched thumb and forefinger down the length of Ivlis’s tail, sending the flame devil into a shivering sensation. “K – Knock it off!” Ivlis gasped out, trying to find his voice. “What is with you today?!”

Satanick’s hot breath against his neck had him shivering even more; a strange combination of feeling both hot and cold all at once with the water droplets running off of him. “I slept pretty well, so now I’m in the mood for some activity.”

Releasing Ivlis’s tail, Satanick slid his hands up to grip Ivlis’s shoulders. With a firm push, Satanick knocked Ivlis into the warm water, the splash sending waves of water over the edge onto the linoleum floor. With his hands still on Ivlis’s shoulders, the devil lord landed into the hot depths with him. Even in the water, Satanick saw the way Ivlis’s eyes sparked and how those long strands of hair splayed out around him. Truly, Ivlis was a handsome man, even with his somewhat feminine features and demeanor. Watching as the flame devil opened his mouth, gasping for air, Satanick pushed his own mouth over Ivlis’s, cupping Ivlis’s face in between the palms of his hands. Satanick could feel Ivlis gulp and gasp behind his lips, and he grinned at that with his mouth against Ivlis’s. Those deep purple eyes bore into his.

Ivlis could feel his lungs burning as he craved air, while also feeling his pounding heart accelerating this dire need. He closed his eyes tightly, hating to see Satanick staring at him so intently like this. No; things were never so easy, were they? Even a simple “bath” was just another excuse for Satanick to have all the fun he wanted.

Finally, Ivlis could feel his body and head breaking above the water, and he pushed against Satanick’s shoulders to release his mouth. Ivlis coughed and sputtered as he breathed in fresh air. All he could see and feel was the water draining off of him as he stared through his long, wet bangs that hung in front of his eyes. Through these curtains, he could see Satanick smiling cheerfully, pleased with himself. Ivlis did his best to glare through his wet bangs to scream out, “You’re crazy! You trying to kill me?!”

Satanick threw his head back, laughing at Ivlis’s hot-headed attitude. “Oh, come on, Buri,” he sang. “You know I easily could do that if I wanted to.” That threat alone made Ivlis’s blood run cold, as he knew that this man was truly capable of ending his life if he so wished it. Honestly, at times, Ivlis wondered if death would have been the preferable option after all these torturous years. He soon remembered Licorice’s beaming face and large eyes, and he knew that even if he hated living in this world with this man, he knew that he couldn’t just leave it so soon when he had a responsibility to that baby. Satanick’s plaything he might be, but he wouldn’t allow Licorice to be alone in this world with only one parent.

With Satanick’s hands on his shoulders, Ivlis felt himself being rotated around so that his back was towards Satanick as Satanick stretched out in the tub, relaxing. He pulled Ivlis down onto him, his back resting on Satanick’s chest. He could feel Satanick now holding him, arms wrapped around his mid-section. Ivlis braced for whatever was to come next, only to realize that after a few minutes of being on edge, Satanick hadn’t tried anything. He simply lie there, eyes closed as he rested the back of his head on the edge of the tub, holding Ivlis close. Feeling the warmth of the warm water, Satanick’s arms around him, and his body and head resting on top of this man, Ivlis couldn’t help but feel a bit…relaxed.

No. He couldn’t afford to rest easy or even begin to think of relaxation at a time like this. Ivlis had to get out of here; somehow, someway, he had to just wait it out until the opportunity arose where he could finally leave this world and this man so he could take Licorice to his own home. Maybe then he could truly get some peace and rest. With Satanick, there really was none, was there?

“So, Roachy, you ready for round two of the activities?” Ivlis’s head whipped around so he could stare into the smirking face and sparkling purple eyes of this devil. Feeling Satanick getting ready to sit up, Ivlis leaned forward, gripping onto the edges of the tub to pull himself out. He quickly stepped out of the tub, trying his best to be careful with the slippery floor underneath his bare feet. He looked up to see that Satanick was now also out of the tub and looming over him.

Ivlis gasped as the man grabbed at Ivlis’s hips once again, turning Ivlis’s back towards the tub. Ivlis feared being shoved into the water once again. Only this time, Satanick positioned Ivlis to sit along the edge of the bath, using his hands on both of Ivlis’s knees to spread Ivlis’s legs open, completely revealing the devil for his sights. Ivlis felt himself falling backwards, and he placed his hands onto the back of the tub’s edge, his body hanging in mid-air over the water. It was an uncomfortable position to be sure, but seeing the gleam in Satanick’s eyes as he crouched in front of Ivlis’s manhood had Ivlis feeling even hotter than the now tepid water. Surely Satanick wasn’t going to – ?!

Ivlis’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open in complete shock and unexpected pleasure as he felt Satanick begin doing something that he hadn’t imagined or felt in a while. Sure, Satanick had forced Ivlis into this kind of thing before, but Ivlis was usually the one on his knees. Now, Satanick was doing this for him? He couldn’t quite remember the last time that Satanick had done such a thing to him. Why now? Ivlis couldn’t comprehend or rationalize why this devil lord would decide to offer him a pleasing sensation such as this. He hated that he found himself feeling so heated already – his breathing was becoming rapid, and he was beginning to feel his extremities shaking as he tried to keep his body steady while also handling these feelings. The rising tingle in his pelvis only seemed to grow the more he felt Satanick slide his mouth and tongue over him, and Ivlis couldn’t help but gasp out moans and groans.

He wanted to hold himself back – enjoyable as it might physically be; he hated the idea of letting Satanick know he was feeling good. How he detested that this man could do such things to him – to make him feel sickened, despised, dirty, and pleasured all at once. Lost in his own thoughts while letting the motions and tingling grow, Ivlis soon felt himself unable to hold back. He moaned loudly, throwing his head back – his horns slightly hitting the wall behind him – as he tried to keep his body as steady as possible while he orgasmed. Such an uncomfortable position to hold himself up while he experienced the most pleasing sensation he had in a while. Thinking that, it left a sour taste in Ivlis’s mouth. He couldn’t allow himself to feel this when he knew just who the type of man was that did this to him was capable of.

As Ivlis internally struggled in himself, he watched through hooded, golden eyes as Satanick leaned back, wiping his mouth clean with the back of his right hand. His left hand still gripped Ivlis’s right knee, keeping the flame devil spread wide. He gave Ivlis that devilish grin of his as he saw Ivlis convulsing and panting as he held himself up above the tub’s water. The bright red blush across Ivlis’s cheeks made Satanick feel proud seeing Buri in such a predicament and in such pleasure. He grinned even more as he announced, “Geez, Buri-chan. You’re gonna need another bath after this.”


	10. Time Out

Ivlis sighed as Satanick dragged him down the hallway by the hand back towards his bedroom. Feeling quite spent, Ivlis felt less apprehensive returning to that awful place; at least there, he’d be safe for a bit since Crea and Licorice could still be heard in there. Licorice’s happy giggles could be heard echoing down the hallway, and Satanick would let out a laugh of his own every now and then when he heard the infant squeal in delight. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at Ivlis behind him to comment on this. “Listen. Do you hear the kiddos having fun, too, Buri?”

Ivlis merely kept quiet, keeping his eyes looking down at the floor. He didn’t want to speak with this devil; especially not after the events from the bathroom. He could still feel his lower half tingling, and he tried his best to ignore and shut out these feelings. The more he felt it, the more it reminded him of his time with that man – of how Satanick literally sucked –

Ivlis immediately shut down this train of thought, finding himself digging his claws into his own palms to snap him out of this. No! No way did he want to think about this. It was surely an unwelcome surprise that Satanick had done such a thing to him. This man’s libido was too much to cope with. He had been here for only a few days and nights, and already he had been assaulted three times. Sure, the first time he hadn’t gotten far, but that was still no excuse! Ivlis wondered just how long he was going to have to suffer. Would he be here for even longer? Satanick had insisted he help out with the infant, but was he really helping Ivlis at all?

The thought of suffering for even more days – for the rest of his life even – had Ivlis feeling a bit glum. He didn’t care that he dazed off with a frown on his face, not giving much attention or thought to Satanick, who had noticed this saddened expression on the flame devil’s face. With a slight frown of his own, Satanick faced forward again as he tugged Ivlis along with him the remaining distance down the hallway, letting the laughter of Crea and Licorice boost his mood, hoping that perhaps this could snap Buri out of his sulk.

Entering the bedroom, Crea and Licorice now sat on the colorful rug that Satanick had splayed out when they had first arrived into his world. Licorice held the long dark and light green snake patterned snake in his right fist, shaking it up and down as he tried to tap Crea with it on her head. The girl, being much taller even while kneeling on the floor, merely giggled, swatting at the snake each time Licorice got too close to her. Upon seeing Satanick enter the room, Crea’s eyes went right over to the pair. Distracted, she was unprepared for Licorice, who was finally successful in tapping her in the face with the plush toy. His squeal of laughter could pierce right through the ears had it not been so cute to hear him give a genuine belly-laugh. The startled look on Crea’s face had the baby laughing even harder, and Crea soon followed suit. She picked up the nearby stuffed bat, gently bopping Licorice on the head with it between his horns. The baby laughed even more, giggling so hard he flopped backwards onto the soft rug behind him. His yellow-orange eyes soon noticed the movement behind him, and he rolled over to stare at his parents. He popped back up onto his knees, bouncing, as he pointed at the two of them in the doorway.

“Ba!” he called out, as if announcing this revelation to Crea. “Ba! Mama!”

Sliding his hand out of Ivlis’s – which Ivlis was thankful for – Satanick strode over to the children. Ivlis watched in disbelief as this sex maniac seemed to transform into a completely different person when around others. Satanick kneeled down onto the carpet, soon lying on his left side in front of Crea and towards Licorice’s right side. He propped his left elbow up to hold his head in, reaching out with his right hand to ruffle Crea’s hair. Licorice turned to his side to tap Satanick in the face with the stuffed snake he still clung onto. He squealed in delight as Satanick flopped down. “Oh, you got me, Licorice! I’ve been slain!” This only added to Licorice’s excitement, crawling forward to continue to bop Satanick in the face with the plush toy.

Still standing in the doorway, Ivlis couldn’t help but think to himself about that possibility - or, more accurately, that impossibility. After all, Satanick slain? There was no way that would become a reality. He had tried that once before. Come to think of it, the day he had tried to kill Satanick in his sleep was the day he wound up getting pregnant with Licorice. Ivlis couldn’t help but remember what it felt like standing over him, having summoned the light projectile he easily knew how to do with his power. Even that reminder tugged at Ivlis’s heart, as he was now reminded of just where he had gotten those powers from….

As his eyes glazed over in aching thought, Ivlis was snapped out of them when he felt his hand being tugged on. Jumping a bit, Ivlis looked down at the girl with the two-toned hair, who stared up at him with her large eyes. He blinked a few times, breathing in deeply as he tried to calm himself. Just where was his mind at today? He felt so dazed. Just what was going on with him? Maybe the stress of all of this was finally getting to him.

“Yeah?” Ivlis managed to whisper out down at the confused girl. Of course she wouldn’t know why Ivlis was so lost today; no child would ever understand these messed-up scenarios, nor should they ever be exposed to such a life.

“Mama Buri, could we go for another walk in the gardens today? I want to show you more places I know about.”

“That’s a great idea, Crea!” Satanick piped up. Ivlis looked over at the man, who was lying down on his back now, knees bent, arms raised up above him as he held Licorice above him. He tried to make the little devil appear as if he was flying, and the baby continued his tirade of giggles. Over his laughter, Satanick continued, “What do you say, Mama Buri? Care for another walk with Crea and me?” Satanick’s deep purple eyes peered down the length of his body; even from this distance, he could see the way this man watched him. Ivlis gulped, knowing that more time with this man would only add to the sensation of going crazy. But knowing the children would be around with them, Ivlis felt that just another simple walk like the other day would be fine.

Taking another breath in, Ivlis nodded, giving the best smile he could at this moment to the girl who awaited his response. “Yeah, I think a walk should be fine.” He honestly hoped it would help clear his head a bit more. Crea’s gentle smile helped ease Ivlis’s mind a bit more.

That is, until Satanick created more upset into Ivlis’s already frazzled mind. “You two go on ahead. I’ll catch up with Lico.” Satanick sat himself up, cradling the baby to his chest. Licorice stared up at him with those large eyes of his, his little lashes blinking every now and then. He turned to stare at Ivlis, a big grin spreading across his face as he saw his mother. He pointed with his little finger over at him.

“Mama,” he said, looking back up at Satanick, as if for confirmation that he could go see Ivlis.

“Yes, yes,” Satanick reassured him. “We’ll go with Mama soon. But I’m gonna get you a bottle first.” Reaching over to a spot on the rug, Satanick found the yellow pacifier Licorice was used to, popping it into the infant’s mouth. He waved the back of his hand towards Ivlis and Crea. “Go on, you two. I’ll be right there.”

Ivlis stood there for a moment, frozen. He did not like the idea of leaving Licorice alone with Satanick, even if it was just for a few moments. Even after so many times of telling himself that Satanick would be perfectly fine with the baby, Ivlis just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the baby with this…fiend. He had just told the girl that he would go for a walk with her, but now he wasn’t so sure. His nerves felt shot, and he couldn’t hold back the anger and fears he had.

“No,” Ivlis found himself whispering out. He then found himself practically wrenching his hand out of Crea’s as he stared at Satanick. He didn’t even register the look of shock on the poor girl’s face as she backed away from Ivlis, who had begun to raise his voice. “No! I am not just going on ahead.”

The silence that followed was deafening. He noticed the way Satanick’s eyes narrowed at him, and even the way Licorice’s eyes widened, staring at him. Ivlis could feel all eyes on him now, but he didn’t care; he was tired of Satanick treating him this way. If this man could use these children as leverage to get what he wanted, so could Ivlis. _Yes_ , he thought; surely this was fine, right? 

Slowly standing up with Licorice still cradled in his arms, Satanick's footsteps fell softly across the rug and then the flat floor as he approached Ivlis and Crea. Bending down, Satanick held Licorice out to Crea, who merely stared at the baby being offered to her. “It’s okay, Crea,” Satanick whispered, a tiny smile on his lips, though Ivlis could see the flat yet almost strange expression he was making. “Please take Licorice to Meduoco and fetch him a bottle. I’ll be with you in a moment. The gardens will still be there.”

Looking up at Ivlis with an almost questioning and slightly fearful look, Crea reached forward to carefully let Satanick slide Licorice into her arms. The baby didn’t seem to mind; though, even he seemed to sense the tension in the air. With a nod from Satanick, and another look back at the two devils, slight concern and confusion on her face, Crea carefully exited the room with Licorice to find Meduoco, as requested of her.

As soon as the girl was out of the room, Ivlis glancing over his shoulder – feeling slightly disheartened that he had caused the children to become a bit upset – he jumped seeing the door slam shut, presumably on its own. His head spun around to see Satanick stand there, his features appearing a bit darker. Ivlis’s heart began to pound in his chest, afraid that he had overstepped his bounds today. Yet, a part of him urged him to press on. He stood still, fists clenched as he tried to gather his courage.

“Why so pissy today, Ivlis?”

The way his stone cold voice sounded had Ivlis shiver slightly. Ivlis kept his lips tightly pressed together. He did not want to answer this man in any way, even though he knew that he should be the one to defend his actions at a time like this.

“And after I was so gracious to you to suck your –.”

Ivlis surprised himself when he slapped a hand over Satanick’s mouth to get him to shut up about that reminder. “I never asked you to! You did that on your own because you’re sick!”

Realizing what he had just done, Ivlis’s eyes widened, as did Satanick’s at this sudden change. Ivlis quickly snatched his hand back, holding his right hand down with his left in his lap so he wouldn’t be tempted again to silence the man. He rarely ever fought back against this man, and now he had done this to him. Granted, it wasn’t much at all compared to what Satanick did to him several times over; still, Ivlis feared the retaliation. He watched as Satanick’s eyes narrowed and a small grin spread across his face.

“Oh, I see,” Satanick smirked. “So, you’d rather be on the giving end rather than the receiving end, right, Ivlis?”

There he was again! Making those same perverted suggestions! Feeling his agitation grow, only coupled with his anxiety, Ivlis began, “No, I don’t –!” Before Ivlis knew it, Satanick had slammed him into the floor. Ivlis grunted as his back and head hit the floor. Black dots began to speckle across his vision from the fall, and his already frazzled mind began to get fuzzier. As he began to piece together what was happening, Ivlis found Satanick hovering over him and his hands on his shoulders, rotating him around. His long coat, scarf, and military jacket with the gold buttons was now being torn off.

_I’ve had enough of this!_ Ivlis’s brain screamed, and he pushed himself up on his hands, only to be shoved back down, Satanick's right foot pressing into Ivlis’s spine. Ivlis then felt his arms being yanked behind him, some type of cord now being wound tightly and quickly around his wrists. “Stop it!” Ivlis screamed. Part of him hoped that others would hear so they would know how terrible Satanick truly was, but another part also hoped that nobody did – especially the children. This conflicting, confused turmoil only left Ivlis feeling more agitated and on edge. Satanick’s foot now off of his back, and rolled over once again – Ivlis’s wrists now bound uncomfortably behind him – the agitated devil watched as Satanick quickly did the same to his ankles.

Wiggling and squirming did little to deter Satanick from his mission. The pitch black devil now sat himself down on top of Ivlis’s pelvis, unbuttoning Ivlis’s white collared shirt. He loved seeing the fearfully angry eyes of this meek devil that tried so much to play it off as if he was truly tough.

After leaving Ivlis's chest exposed, Satanick now reached up, deftly sliding his fingers into the knot of his own tie, loosening it up enough so he could slide the black accessory off of his neck. With both hands, Satanick stretched the garment tautly between his hands, reaching forward to place the item over Ivlis’s eyes. He loved seeing the flame devil’s frightened face and those shaking, golden eyes before he obscured them. Pulling Ivlis’s head up slightly off of the floor, Satanick quickly tied the black tie around his head. He pulled back, admiring his handiwork at the makeshift blindfold. Good, he thought; he liked it this way. If Ivlis couldn’t see what was coming, that just left only more room for anticipation for the pleasure that he was going to be giving to his dear roach. Ivlis shook underneath him, and Satanick relished in this even more.

“Fine, my dear Buri,” Satanick cooed. “If you want to be on the giving end so badly, I’ll let you have this fun before our walk.” As Satanick reached down to unzip his pants, he heard Ivlis whisper out.

“How?”

“Hmm ~?”

“How can you do this when you literally have children here?!”

Satanick’s eyes narrowed for a moment, trying to comprehend what in the world this devil was implying. He didn’t have to wonder for long, as Ivlis continued his pent-up tirade.

“You literally dragged me over here to help with Licorice, and then every single day you continue to grope and rape me! You’re not doing anything to help, are you? This is just some sick show for you! There are kids here, Satanick! Yet you’re so preoccupied with sex all the time! We just had it not even an hour ago! You don’t even care if they find out about this stuff, do you?! You’re a horrible man; a horrible father!” Huffing from his struggles and screaming, Ivlis continued, “Just stop this already!”

The fact that Ivlis couldn’t see anything but hear the absolute silence in the air was only fueling his anxiety as it drowned out some of the agitation. He breathed roughly, feeling his chest rising and falling with each breath.

“So, that’s how you see me, eh?”

As he heard these icy words, Ivlis felt Satanick moving off of him, only to then scoop him up into his arms. “W – What are you doing?” Ivlis gasped out. The sudden shift in atmosphere, along with the slight temperature change, had Ivlis realize this familiar air around him. So, they were in the dungeons again. He began to squirm in Satanick’s arms, only to wish he hadn’t, as Satanick practically threw him to the cold, hard floor. As Ivlis hit the ground on his right side – his shoulder and hip bone sending a sharp pain and then dull throb through these affected areas – he let out a grunt. He now began to fear that maybe he had said too much. Once again, his hot-heated attitude had gotten the better of him, and now he feared he would have to continue to pay the price. Perhaps he shouldn’t have said anything, he pondered. He dreaded thinking that back in this dungeon, this man could easily start inflicting unbelievable pain on him once more with his various torture methods.

Hearing Satanick’s footsteps approaching behind him once again, Ivlis tensed up, bracing for more pain. Part of him wanted to apologize, hoping that this would somehow stave off the devil’s wrath, but that stubborn streak of his egged him on. Why should he apologize when he was clearly in the right for saying what he said? This man was the problem, after all.

While stewing in his own hateful and hurt thoughts, Ivlis first heard the sound of the tape being ripped off before Satanick yanked his ponytail from behind so Ivlis was facing upwards – or so he assumed, as he still could not see anything with the blindfold still on. Ivlis gritted his teeth, hissing air through them as he felt the strands of his hair being yanked. The next instant, he felt the slap of tape being put over his mouth roughly. Ivlis groaned at the sudden snippets of discomfort as he hated that more of his senses were being taken away from him. Now he couldn’t move, see, or speak.

_I hate this! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!_ Screaming inside his own mind did no good, as Ivlis lie partially on his right side, yanking at the cords that bound him. He had to get free of this somehow!

Standing over the struggling and grunting flame devil, Satanick stared at him through hooded eyes. So, that’s how Ivlis saw him, was it? As nothing more than a deranged pervert? Well, he could admit to being a pervert, but never would he allow Ivlis to insinuate that he would let either Crea or Licorice see any of this. Upset and hurt by this, Satanick gritted his teeth, crouching down once again to Ivlis. With a tight yank on the top of the roach’s hair to have him turned towards him – he delighted in hearing Ivlis's muffled moan of pain – Satanick brought his face to his. He knew full well the devil couldn’t see him, but he wanted him to know his deep disgust for Ivlis in this moment. He wanted this filth to feel his hot breath on him and know his anger.

“You think I’m nothing but some sicko that can’t even take care of the kids, is that it, you pathetic roach?” Satanick snarled between his own clenched teeth. The more he spoke, the more he could feel the darkness swirling around him. Right now, he knew this was not the time to let the darkness consume him, though he wouldn’t mind crushing this roach in this particular moment.

_No, not yet_ , he told himself, trying to rationalize his thinking. Smirking as his lips curled upwards into a sinister smile, Satanick whispered out, “I’ll show you, you disgusting wretch.” He tugged roughly on Ivlis’s hair more, and he grinned hearing Ivlis moan yet again. “You think I can’t take care of my own child? I’m a horrible father, right? Well, Licorice will just have to deal with dear Papa for a while then.” With his right hand, Satanick patted Ivlis’s left cheek before shoving Ivlis’s head down onto the cold stone floor; he relished in hearing the flame devil’s chin and face hitting the floor.

“You stay here, Mama Buri; you rest up. That’s what you wanted all along, wasn’t it? Just to rest? I’ll happily let you rest in here for a few days. You’ve ruined my libido right now anyway,” he sighed. “It’s time Licorice spend more time with his father. He’s too much of a mama’s boy.”

Pushing up from his crouched position, Satanick turned on his heel to begin walking away, putting his hands into his front pockets. Even if Ivlis’s couldn’t see him, he extracted his right hand out to raise it up, as if in a still wave to Ivlis. “See you later, Buri-chan. I’ll come fetch you when I’m ready. I’ll be busy taking care of the baby and enjoying the gardens with Crea.”

Moaning from the aching in his jaw and face, Ivlis slid his left cheek against the floor, facing towards Satanick. No way was Satanick just going to leave him here! Sure, he was used to that – being confined for a while – but never had Ivlis left Licorice alone with Satanick like this. His stomach felt as if it had dropped as he feared for the infant yet again. The rational side of his mind tried to reassure him – reminding him of how gentle the man was with Licorice all this time so far. Yet, Ivlis couldn’t shake the fear of not being around to monitor this devil to make sure the baby was truly safe.

_Why even worry?_ he tried to reason. But he did. As awkward as he might be with raising a baby, Ivlis still cared for Licorice. Now, he couldn’t even keep his son safe if Satanick left him here in this position. Why? Why did he have to go and open his big mouth?! This was worse than just leaving Satanick alone with him for a mere bottle. Who knew how long he would be here now?!

“Nmph!” Ivlis tried to scream out behind the gag over his mouth. He continued to wrench at the tight cords binding his wrists together. At the moment, he didn’t care they scraped against his scales; he had to get free! “Mnpgh! Nmph!”

The last things he could hear before being engulfed into complete darkness – even more so than just with the blindfold on – was Satanick’s chuckling and the creaking of the cell door slamming shut. The echo of it sent a chill down Ivlis’s spine as he now realized how trapped he truly was; trapped in this cold pit of a cell and his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me! 
> 
> I started off with a more wholesome thing and had ideas to continue on, but stuff happens, and I like the drama. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Sorry, ya'll! :P


	11. Bad Father

Satanick strode purposefully down the hallways towards the kitchen. He tried not to think about Ivlis and leaving him down in the dungeon. After all, out of sight, out of mind, he told himself. Feeling pleased that he had properly punished Ivlis for his outburst, Satanick tried to steady his racing heart and mind, taking a few breaths in and out as he found himself soon entering the kitchen. He immediately felt his mood slightly shift for the better seeing Meduoco holding Licorice out in front of her, cooing at him with her face inches from his. The baby giggled at all the attention the woman gave him, not seemingly bothered by the moving snakes of her hair; in fact, he appeared fascinated that they moved around, unlike his plush toy. Crea stood nearby, holding the completed bottle in hand.

Upon hearing the devil lord’s shoes on the tile floor and his light chuckle, Meduoco turned to see him standing there in the doorway, hands in his pockets. Pulling her face back up from Licorice’s, she brought him into her chest, placing the baby on her left arm, her right hand on his back. She gave a light smile to Satanick, nodding down at Crea. “We prepared Licorice his bottle, Lord Devil.”

Satanick gave a nod at Meduoco; what a loyal maid she was. He enjoyed having her around. Plus, he enjoyed playing with her snakes. He smiled at that thought, and the gorgon gave him a slight blush with the way he smiled like that. “Thank you, Meduoco.” Turning his gaze down now to Crea with a small smile, Satanick said, “And thank you, Crea. You’re the perfect assistant.”

Crea gave a small smile in return, though she looked a bit preoccupied in her thoughts, as Satanick noticed the way her eyes glanced downwards at the floor soon after. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the poor girl was disheartened by something. The only thing he could think of was the way Ivlis had reacted towards the girl. Now remembering that, Satanick felt as if he should return to the dungeon to punish Ivlis even more for making Crea frown like this. Later, he told himself; there was always later that he could punish the flame devil. He grinned at that thought. After all, his libido might have been killed by Ivlis, but he could always find the right motivation to cause a little pain if he found him deserving of it.

Satanick strode over to Meduoco, reaching his arms out to slide Licorice into his arms. The little boy’s eyes lit up to see his father, as he happily replied, “Ba,” as if greeting Satanick. Satanick gave a gentle smile to the babe, giving a small kiss to his tiny forehead. He then positioned Licorice onto his left arm so he could extend his right hand towards Crea. “You ready, my dear?” he asked. He hoped even the cute nicknames he gave Crea every now and then would help spark some joy back into her after everything. He was glad when she placed her left hand in his, the other still holding the baby bottle – ready to help when needed. With a final nod towards Meduoco and a grateful smile, Satanick walked hand in hand with Crea out of the kitchen. He honestly looked forward to the fresh air; perhaps this would help clear his mind a bit more from the fog.

The skies above them appeared a bit cloudier than usual, though the daylight still tired to break through. Satanick wasn’t sure that he liked the weather reflecting on his moods. He tried his best to keep positive and focused on the children in front of him to avoid letting his thoughts wander to other things – like these troublesome emotions. A slight wind blew past them, rustling the grass and various flowers that filled this particular garden path. The crunch of the gravel underneath Satanick’s and Crea’s shoes was the only sound that filled the silence between them. Satanick’s heart felt slightly heavy, wondering if Crea was upset about Ivlis not coming along with them.

“Crea?” he began, glancing down at her on his right hand side. Her large eyes stared back at him, and his rollercoaster of emotions began to slide down into a calm peak noticing her normal expression. “Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Crea replied, a little confusion on her face at such a question. She looked down for a moment, thinking. She then looked back up at Satanick to express what was on her mind. “I suppose I’m just sad that I made Mama Buri upset about asking for a walk. I hope he’s okay.”

There went that rollercoaster – shooting up to a new peak to send a twinge of guilt to Satanick’s heart. He paused walking for a moment to turn towards Crea, crouching down to her level. Licorice continued his activity of chewing on his own hand as Satanick held him.

“Crea, no,” Satanick reassured her. “It was not your fault at all. I promise you that. Okay?” He paused, letting his words sink in and the girl to nod in acknowledgement of this. “Mama Buri’s just cranky. He needed a time out to rest. Kind of like Licorice when he’s upset.” Satanick offered Crea’s hand a light squeeze in his. “He just needed some alone time. He’ll be fine soon enough.” Part of him felt bad for stretching the truth to the girl, but it was true; Ivlis was being quite ornery just for being asked to go on a walk. Never would he dare tell the girl what he had done to the roach in retaliation. All she needed to know was that Ivlis was "resting." 

The more Satanick thought about it, he could hear Ivlis’s words echoing in his head. _“You’re a horrible man; a horrible father!”_

Crea noticed the somewhat pained look on Satanick’s face, and she offered a squeeze back to his hand with hers. His eyes looked to their clasped hands, then back into those window-like, green eyes of hers. Tilting her head slightly to the left – her straight pink hair draping over her shoulder – Crea asked him in return, “Are you okay, Lord Devil?”

Satanick couldn’t help but smile at such genuine empathy from this girl. How this child had grown over all these years….

No; now was not the time to reminisce about the long, long ago days gone by. That did not need to be added to his already boggled mind. Instead, he found himself unloading some of these foggy thoughts onto Crea, blurting out, “Crea, do you think I’m a bad father?”

The girl’s eyes widened for a moment at such a question, soon straightening up as she shook her head vigorously. “No, no! I don’t think so, Lord Devil. You have been so kind to me. That’s not a horrible thing at all.” She then looked at Licorice – who had moved on from chewing his hand, now covered in drool – to begin chewing and drooling on Satanick’s left shoulder. She gave a slight giggle at this, and Satanick turned to see what the infant was up to, giving a soft laugh of his own.

“See,” she added. “Licorice thinks so, too. You’re not a bad father at all.” Crea then walked forward into Satanick’s crouched legs to give him a hug around his legs and as far as her arms could reach to his back.

Satanick felt his heart melt at this display of affection from Crea. The words of a child stung true to him. Yes, he realized – he wasn’t as bad as he might imagine. He wasn’t as terrible as Buri thought he was. Yes, he was a good father; he’d show Ivlis that he could surely take care of Licorice well. Satanick smiled, wrapping his right arm around Crea, gently patting her head from behind. “Thank you for saying so, Crea. That makes me feel a bit better.”

Pulling back after a few moments, Satanick reached for the bottle that Crea was still carrying. Still with a bit of a grin on his face, Satanick stood back up, pulling Licorice off of his shoulder. The infant whined when he could no longer chew on Satanick’s jacket, but he soon found himself cradled in his father’s left arm, a bottle waiting for him; the infant quickly it in both of his little hands, sucking it down eagerly. Satanick chuckled, looking at the way Licorice scarfed down the bottle and then at his wet shoulder. “See? Isn’t’ that better than my suit, Lico?”

Crea giggled at this, as well. She soon turned her on her heel to lightly jog ahead, and Satanick’s eyes followed her, his feet soon after. He watched as Crea paused beside a bush that sprouted purple roses, carefully plucking off of its thorny branch. She then turned back to head to Satanick, her chunky sneakers crunching in the gravel beneath her feet. She reached upwards, holding out the rose to Satanick. “Here, Lord Devil. This flower suits you best.”

Chuckling, Satanick leaned forward, allowing Crea to place the flower into his hair near his branch-like thorns. “Thank you, Crea. It’s beautiful.” While leaning forward, Satanick placed a small kiss to the top of Crea’s head. “You’re the best daughter, you know.”

Giggling, Crea turned around, skipping down the path ahead of them. “I’m your only daughter, Lord Devil.”

Satanick raised himself back up, still holding Licorice and the bottle. Part of the clouds in the sky seemed to move aside now as his mood slightly lifted. Looking down into the large eyes of Licorice – the baby focused on his father as he ate – Satanick felt a bit more peaceful for the time being. He had a wonderful adopted daughter and a sweet infant – as sweet as his name implied. Surely, he wasn’t a bad father. Maybe today was going to be better than what he had assumed it would be.

“Waaaaahhh! Mama! Mama!”

Satanick let out a sigh as he bounced Licorice in his arms gently, trying to soothe him. Today was truly a lovely day with Crea and Licorice; they had roamed the gardens and even went into the forest for a bit. He enjoyed watching the fascination on Licorice’s face at seeing the birds flying around through the trees, squealing with delight. After returning back to the castle – Licorice had fallen asleep along the way back – Satanick was able to spend some quality time with Crea. She had requested baking cookies, and Satanick happily obliged to help her with this. Upon Licorice awakening, Satanick fed and changed him, soon deciding to give him a bath; it had been a few days here, after all. Crea was then tucked into bed as Licorice bounced on his bottom on her bed, gleeful and carefree. Thankfully, the babe even went to bed with no trouble – a simple rock in Satanick's arms as he paced around his bedroom was enough for Licorice to fall asleep before he placed him softly into his crib at the foot of his bed.

Only a few hours later, Licorice was now awake and screaming at the top of his lungs, jarring Satanick awake. Cracking his eyes open, Satanick had begun the routine of bouncing, rocking, walking, feeding, and changing the baby. Nothing he did seemed to comfort the little one, as he continuously wailed for the one person that Satanick hadn’t thought of the rest of the afternoon.

That is, until now.

“Licorice, shh,” Satanick tried to shush the babe. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Please just go back to sleep.” This back and forth inside the room – which appeared so much smaller now after so much pacing – was beginning to tire him out. Satanick decided maybe it was best if he kept the infant close to him tonight. Maybe some contact would help the child feel better that Ivlis was not currently present.

Getting onto the bed, Satanick lie down on his right side, placing the baby onto his stomach in front of him. The new change in scenery had Licorice stop his screaming for a moment as he pushed himself up slightly with his little fists to look around.

Having a moment to breathe, Satanick gave a small smile to Licorice as he stared at his father now. “See, Lico; everything is okay. You’re in the big bed with Papa.” He began to rub the infant’s back, hoping to calmly lower the babe’s head back onto the bedsheets to get him sleepy.

Successfully, Licorice lowered his head onto the sheets, facing Satanick. He placed his little hand near his mouth to gently begin sucking on it. His cheeks retained the wet tears and redness from all of his crying. “Mama,” Licorice whined, his little eyes beginning to fill with tears again. Satanick sighed a bit at this. He hated to see the baby upset, especially if he was still asking for Buri. “Mama. Mama.”

“Not you, too, Licorice,” Satanick found himself whispering out to the child, knowing he wouldn’t understand what he was saying. “Am I really that bad of a father?” Even as he thought these self-deprecating thoughts once again, Satanick still tried to comfort Licorice, beginning to pat his back in a simple rhythm, soon rubbing it to calm him even further.

As the baby sniffed and did his tiny hyperventilating hiccups, Satanick stared at the tiny tears that fell from his drooping yellow-orange eyes. Satanick felt better knowing that Licorice was soothed enough - or wore out enough - to fall asleep. Yet seeing the tears made his heart ache. Maybe he really was a horrible father after all. He had taken the boy’s mother away to teach that roach a lesson, but was it right of him to keep the babe from his own mother? Satanick sighed, knowing that tonight wouldn’t be quite easy for him to sleep. After all, Ivlis was now at the front of his mind thanks to the reminders from Licorice.

These days he found himself thinking more and more about the flame devil. Just why was that? Satanick couldn’t quite be sure. Perhaps it really was due to the fact of having this baby with him. It also didn’t help that he had basically stolen them away to his world to spend a few days with him. The closer that Ivlis was, the more he realized he was constantly thinking about him. Just what in the world was this? How could he – the magnificent devil lord – be so preoccupied in his thoughts with this whiny flame devil? Maybe it would be best if he returned Ivlis to the Flame Underworld soon; maybe time apart would help him reevaluate his thinking process....

Satanick opened his eyes, soon realizing that he had slightly drifted off in his own thoughts. Through hooded eyes, he noticed Licorice was now asleep. His tiny breaths were steady, and Satanick let out a sigh of relief. Tired and in a slightly foul mood now as he might be, he realized what needed to be done. After all, Licorice would wake up once again, and most likely still be looking for his mother.

Carefully sliding out of the bed, Satanick quickly yet quietly transported himself right in front of the dungeon door. Taking a deep breath, and closing his eyes momentarily, Satanick determined that he was going to steel himself to make sure that Ivlis didn’t forget that he was still in the wrong for what he had done to upset poor Crea. Yes, wrong as he himself might be, Satanick wanted the roach to know who was truly in charge.

Satanick opened the cell door, letting the creaking of it echo on the stone walls. The air was always much cooler down here. Part of him hoped that Buri hadn’t gotten too cold down here. Peeking around the metal door, Satanick could see Ivlis still lying on the floor, still bound. He hadn’t moved much since the last time he had seen him, though it did look as if he had struggled quite a bit to free himself, as he was slightly in a different position. Satanick could also see the bits of dried, caked-on blood on both the ground and Ivlis’s wrists.

“Buri-chaaaaan ~,” Satanick sung out lightly. “I’ve returned for you. Did you miss me?”

Ivlis gave no response or any sign that he had heard him, lying perfectly still. Sighing out, Satanick opened the door fully, letting some more light flood the room. In the center of the room lie a pull string for the light above them. Passing by it, Satanick gave it a quick tug with his left hand to bring even more light into this dingy little cell. Now he could clearly see the roach, still all trussed up in his bindings.

Kneeling down on his knees – not minding the cold of the floor or the dried blood he was in – Satanick gently reached out to take a hold of the makeshift blindfold over Ivlis’s eyes, yanking it upwards.

The sudden motion and jerking of his head on the hard floor had Ivlis grunt. He immediately squinted his eyes as the light hurt to see; after all, he hadn’t seen light in quite a few hours. Or had it been days? He wasn’t quite sure anymore. After a few seconds, Ivlis steadily opened his eyes to stare up at Satanick hovering over him.

Satanick couldn’t help but chuckle at the feeble sight in front of him, though a part of him felt a bit remorseful at seeing those golden eyes now appear a bit more lifeless. He wanted to see them sparkle; that gold would look so pretty if only he could get him to perk up more. Everything he had tried seemed to fail. Just how could he get these orbs to shine?

Wait, what in the world was he thinking?

Shaking his head to rattle out these absurd thoughts, Satanick reached out for the silver strip of tape over the flame devil’s mouth. With a quick yank, Satanick pulled the tape off in one motion, reveling in seeing the flame devil gasp out in pain, cursing, as the tape ripped at his skin. Satanick rolled it up in a ball with his fingers, tossing it over his right shoulder. He inspected Ivlis’s face, seeing a bit of spark return to those eyes thanks to the bit of pain he had just caused him. Yes; it seemed that both pain and pleasure seemed to get his lovely roach back to normal. Good, he thought, a smug smile stretching across his lips.

Groaning at the sudden reminder that Satanick was now with him once more, Ivlis narrowed his eyes at Satanick, slightly glaring at him through hooded eyelids. However, he tried not to give too much backlash against this man, lest he be kept in here for longer than he already had been. Ivlis wanted to speak out against him and start questioning if Licorice was safe, but he forced himself to remain quiet. After a few moments of silence, Ivlis turned his eyes away from this devil’s deep gaze. He hated hearing Satanick chuckle at him like that – as if he was the “victor” in this staring contest.

“Buri, aren’t you going to answer me?” Satanick cooed, brushing his fingers across Ivlis’s forehead to brush back his bangs and strands of long hair. Ivlis shuddering at his touch had him grinning even more. With no reply right away from the flame devil, Satanick leaned in closer so his face was only inches from Ivlis’s. That surely got the man’s attention, as Ivlis’s flicked up to stare at this new proximity. The slight tremble in his eyes and body made Satanick feel pleased that he could cause this discomfort in the flame devil.

He watched Ivlis visibly gulp before stuttering out, “W – What?”

“I asked if you missed me.” Satanick tilted his head to the left slightly, a grin still across his face. “Well?”

Ivlis looked away yet again, disgust clearly written across his features. Even if he didn’t say it, Satanick could tell that Ivlis was agitated and uncomfortable. Sure, he enjoyed this, but part of him also felt strange. Ever since the walk with Crea and the night with Licorice, Satanick had this weird feeling in his gut. He scoffed it off as merely nothing but his own imagination, nerves, and exhaustion. Thankfully, Ivlis answered him to take his mind off of this.

“Where is my son?” Even if his voice was just a whisper, Satanick could sense the ire in it.

“Excuse me? I think you mean _our_ son. You didn’t forget that he’s part of me, too, did you? How stupid can you be?” Even as he berated him, Satanick reached a hand behind Ivlis’s back, searching for the cords around his wrists. Ivlis hissed through his teeth as Satanick managed to yank them off after finagling at the ropes to loosen them a bit more.

Now being free, Ivlis rolled over slightly to get his arms out on both sides of his body. The ache and numbness of having them bound for so long left them feeling cold as he waited for the blood flow to return to his limbs. As Satanick sat up slightly to reach for his ankles, Ivlis pushed himself up onto his elbows, not caring that his white shirt was dirty from the dungeon floor, his cuffs stained with some of the blood from his wrists. Now that he noticed it, Satanick was also just in his white shirt - no vest, cape, or any other fancy trimming. Was it nighttime, then? Soon, his thoughts were interrupted when he found Satanick now hovering over him, knees and hands on either side of him. Ivlis shuddered, fearing what was to come now.

“Please, don’t,” Ivlis whispered out. He truly hoped his plea would work. Even after “resting” in here, he was not in the mood for this man’s advances. “I just want to see Licorice.” That part was true, too; he wanted to see the babe with his own eyes – to look over him to make sure he was truly safe and taken care of.

Not wanting to admit to coming for Ivlis on behalf of Licorice, Satanick rolled his eyes. He looked back into those pleading, golden orbs. “Fine. I won’t try anything. Not today, Roachy. I’ll take you to our boy. But,” he whispered, lowering his face so their noses touched. “Remember your place, Buri-chan.” Satanick’s soft lips on his gave Ivlis no satisfaction or comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t be severely assaulted in this moment. Just why did this man have to always push himself on him like this, even with a simple kiss? Ivlis shut his eyes, hoping the more he shut his gaze to what was going on, the more he could shut it out of his memory. No; there was no satisfaction in this whatsoever.

What it gave him was further proof that his life was going to forever be linked to Satanick’s, like it or not.


	12. Apologies and Abandonment

Ivlis allowed the faint dizziness of being transported into Satanick’s room to fade as he felt his feet touch the familiar ground. Blinking a few times to steady himself, Ivlis quickly took inventory of the room, scanning for Licorice. His heart dropped slightly when he didn’t see the babe in the crib. Walking away from Satanick, he soon discovered the baby lying peacefully on his stomach in Satanick’s bed, and he let out a sigh of relief. Ivlis quietly approached behind the infant, trying to keep his boots from making too much noise on the floor. Ivlis watched the babe’s back move up and down with his light breathing. Reaching out lightly, Ivlis placed his fingertips on top of Licorice’s back, feeling him breathing firsthand. Ivlis didn’t realize how calming it was to see that the baby was safe. He knew that he wasn’t the best father himself – he could easily admit that. After all, he was still so awkward with the infant, though he tried his best to make sure Licorice was provided for in all ways.

As he was watching over the babe – leaning over so that his ponytail hung over his right shoulder now – Ivlis tensed up when he felt Satanick sliding up behind him. Gulping, Ivlis turned around to see the devil standing there, right hand on his hip with a slight smirk across his face. A smirk and something else shone on his face; was that annoyance? It startled Ivlis that this devil was so easily agitated with him, and Ivlis feared what he would do to him. However, knowing he was in the room with Licorice, Ivlis felt better knowing that the infant was truly safe and well.

Satanick had actually taken care of him without him around….

Ivlis should have known Satanick would have taken care of Licorice. After all, the man might be a monster to him, but he surely wasn’t to the children or the others in this castle. Logically, he could see how that Crea girl seemed to love this devil lord. If Satanick was truly a horrible man, would innocent children really love him? Feeling slightly embarrassed at what he had said earlier, Ivlis lowered his eyes to the floor as he gently lowered himself to sit on the bed, careful of not moving too much to disturb Licorice. Pressing his lips together, Ivlis did not want to admit or speak to Satanick in this moment. Stubborn pride always got in his way, but he didn’t want to let Satanick know that he was wrong - that the statement that he had made earlier about him being a horrible father could actually be false.

A gasp escaped Ivlis’s lips as Satanick was now in front of him, raising his chin up between his right thumb and forefinger so Ivlis was now forced to stare into those deep, dark purple depths. “So,” Satanick whispered out. “Where is my apology, Buri?”

He should have known; Ivlis should have known or suspected that Satanick would have tried to drag this out of him. Was he really offended so easily by what Ivlis had said? Then again, Ivlis couldn’t help but wonder how he would feel if someone had said the same thing to him. Ivlis tried to lower his eyes, only for his chin to be jerked up even further to stare into those dark eyes.

“Uh uh,” Satanick reprimanded, his tone still darker than normal. “You aren’t wiggling out of this one, Roachy.” Satanick bent at the hip, lowering his face to Ivlis’s. He loved seeing those eyes stare at him with such trepidation. "As you can clearly see, Licorice is perfectly safe. I bathed him. I fed him. I changed him. So, tell me, am I still such a bad father?”

Ivlis opened his mouth slightly, trying to figure out just the right words to say. He hated to give up this admonition, but what choice did he have? Satanick could easily snap again and lock him in that dungeon yet again. “N – No,” Ivlis choked out in a light mumble, trying to avoid the Pitch Black devil’s eyes. The pinch on his chin grew stronger, and Ivlis gasped out. “O – Okay,” he groaned; swallowing this pride wasn’t always easy. “Y – You’re not a bad father.” It took every ounce of strength he had to speak those words and admit he was wrong. Honestly, admitting he was wrong felt a bit humiliating, especially when he considered the fuss he had made over Satanick being left alone with Licorice for a measly bottle.

The embarrassed look on Ivlis’s face must have convinced Satanick enough of this, as he gave that cocky little grin of his, releasing Ivlis’s chin. “Good boy,” Satanick said, now patting Ivlis’s head as if to reward him. Ivlis simply pressed his lips together so he would not snap back at the devil to not treat him like some sort of pet. Unfortunately, no amount of verbal demands would get him anywhere. After all, pet cockroaches had no right to speak….

The motion of Satanick now taking a seat next to Ivlis had the flame devil feeling anxious yet again as he looked at the man sitting directly next to him. Ivlis took a quick peek over his shoulder to make sure that Licorice had not stirred; thankfully, he had not, still blissfully asleep and unaware of the tension between his parents.

Ivlis couldn’t help but groan when he noticed the way Satanick stared at him expectantly yet again. “What now?” Ivlis groaned out in a faint whisper. “You want another apology?” As the words left his tongue, Ivlis felt a prick in his heart at this. This smart mouth of his was going to cost him some day, he was sure of it; though, it already had in a myriad of ways.

The placid expression on the devil lord’s face remained as his eyes bore into Ivlis’s. “Why, yes, Buri – I do expect another apology. But not to me. You owe one to poor Crea.”

As Ivlis opened his mouth – ready to retort about why he shouldn’t have to apologize to a kid that clearly did not understand the delicate topic of leaving a child behind with a “madman” – Ivlis recalled the girl’s surprised expression when he had snapped about not going on a walk. Those large eyes made a slight impression into his mind’s eye, and he could feel his heart ache a bit at remembering how he had reacted in front of her…how he had unintentionally startled her. Ivlis glanced down at his lap now, not really staring at anything in particular as he thought things through. He was brash and clumsy with his words and actions – he knew that – but that gave him no excuse to behave the way he did, as much as he thought he was rightfully justified in his mind to be cautious with Satanick and Licorice. Not quite good with expressing his emotions, Ivlis merely nodded, acknowledging that he would apologize to the girl.

Satanick chuckled seeing Ivlis this way. Obedience is what he liked from this man, though – he had to admit – he did like it when Ivlis would give him a bit of an attitude. That feisty side intrigued Satanick in a way that others just didn’t seem to suit.

There they were yet again – those intrusive thoughts about this roach. As much as he enjoyed tormenting this devil, Satanick couldn’t help but find it strange that he was now occasionally thinking of this man in these terms. He let out an audible sigh as he tried to find some solid argument as to why he was feeling this way. Perhaps it really was time to send the two back to the Flame Underworld; the exhaustion of constantly having them around must surely be the culprit behind these delusions.

Still, while he still had them, Satanick figured he might as well enjoy the present time. With a little smirk played across his lips, Satanick turned to his right in order to pull Licorice closer to him. He could see the obvious discomfort and anxiety displayed on Ivlis’s face, and he chuckled. “Relax, Buri,” he admonished as she slowly took the babe into his arms; thankfully, Licorice was fast asleep and did not stir in the devil lord’s arms. Turning to stand, Satanick made his way over to the edge of the crib to place Licorice in it, the infant placed on his right side facing away from the bed. He gave a soft smile down at the child, relieved that Licorice had finally seemed to settle down for the evening. Now, all that was left was for him to relax, too. Satanick raised his gaze back to Ivlis, who still sat apprehensively on the edge of his bed. A light smirk from the devil lord was all it took for Ivlis to avert his gaze once more.

Satanick made his way around the opposite side of the bed, flinging back the covers so he could lie down on the silken sheets underneath; though, with Ivlis sitting on the edge, it made it quite awkward to fully spread them out. No matter, Satanick thought with a mental shrug. Reaching over, he tugged on Ivlis’s left tricep, yanking the flame devil backwards. Ivlis gave a light gasp at this, and Satanick snickered. “Geez, Roachy, you really need to pay attention more. You space out too much.” Still, the mild jabs of teasing only provided commentary as Satanick reached out to wrap his grasping hand now around Ivlis’s waist, pulling the devil’s hips to match with his own.

Ivlis’s eyes widened in shock, as his face clearly showed discomfort and confusion. “What do you want now?” Ivlis groaned. He pushed back against Satanick’s chest with his palms, wanting to put some distance between them. Hadn’t he already expressed his disgust multiple times about this sort of thing? He sighed, realizing that it did no good to protest – Satanick never listened to him anyway.

“Hey, no need to complain, Buri-chan,” Satanick cooed down at him. “Is that any way to thank me for taking you out of the dungeon? What a shame; I could always put you back there if you really want that.” He smirked down at Ivlis, who was already biting at his bottom lip to stop the retorts. He could see in the way the flame devil stared off that he was truly trying to keep his inner thoughts to himself. Plus, he looked quite tired even with his respite in the dark prison. With a yawn at the idea of sleep being a welcome companion, Satanick tugged at the sheets, dragging them up in a crumpled mess around both of them; he re-positioned his hand onto Ivlis’s waist once more now that they were properly settled in.

“It’s time to sleep now,” he commanded Ivlis. “After all, you should enjoy this moment with me while you can. Marvelous me needs a bit of a break from you," he sighed out, momentarily. "So starting tomorrow, you get to return home with Licorice; well, after you apologize to Crea, of course. Rejoice in getting to be with me tonight, Ivlis.” Satanick pulled the devil’s waist closer to his now, grasping at the back of Ivlis’s head with his right hand to practically shove the flame devil’s face into his chest in an uncomfortable embrace. 

As Ivlis breathed in – the only thing he could now smell being Satanick’s fragrance – he tried to let his tired mind process what was just told to him. Satanick would finally be sending them home…? A chill ran through his body at this realization - not quite cold, but also not quite warm. Finally, he could be home safe and sound for a while…well, at least he hoped it would be for quite a while. Yet, even at the prospect of returning home, it left Ivlis feeling odd. It was almost as if Satanick was shoving him away. Then again, why should he care if he did? If anything, Ivlis should be rejoicing in that fact. Had he truly gotten under Satanick’s skin enough that now the devil lord was perhaps going to ease up on these surprise visits and spiriting him away to this world?

A dream come true. Any victim would be thrilled if their tormentor suddenly decided to stop harassing them.

So…why did he feel as if he was being cast aside…? As if he was being punished for doing something wrong, even if he was in the right?

Ivlis let out a light groan as he tried to stomp down the turmoil that began to build inside of him. Being cast out…. Cast aside like trash.

No.

No, tonight was not the time to think this way.

As Ivlis waged an internal war inside his being about being thankful he could leave this man’s grasp soon enough, he couldn’t help but feel slightly abandoned. And, Satanick had called him by his name…not the insulting nicknames he’d been bestowed with.

A light sigh on the top of Ivlis’s head and the way Satanick squeezed him even tighter only added to Ivlis’ frazzled amalgamation of thoughts.

_What is wrong with me?_

The same thought echoed in each of the devil’s minds as the still, calm night outside this bedroom stretched out into a brand new day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, hey! So sorry I'm late with this series, everyone! I start waaaaay too many projects at once. But I think I am getting ready to finish up this prequel to Why? 
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed this little look into the family dynamics and my interpretation between these two devils. Next chapter should be the finale, so I hope to make it a sweet one - well, as sweet as can be with the inner turmoil of these two. :P 
> 
> My timeline of events is basically: 1. Attack! Devilish Style, 2. Seaside Dispatches 1, 3. Sweet Baby, 4. Distorted Love 1 and 2, 5. Why?, and finally 6. The sequel to Why? 
> 
> Soooo, that's how I'm working with this in my mind, so hope this helps in understanding my timeline a bit more. XD
> 
> Again, thank you all for your support and even reading this. You all rock, and I love you! :D <3


	13. Bittersweet

Satanick watched as Ivlis mumbled in his sleep, a small smile on his lips at such a sight. He had been awake for quite a while now, yet no desire to move out of the bed had persuaded him to do so. Lying on his right side, he simply watched the flame devil sleep. When his eyes were closed like this, Ivlis’s face seemed almost serene – as if he was truly at peace. These past few days with this meek yet fiery man had been quite the thrill for Satanick, though he still recalled the moments when he had given in to his temper and lustful habits. He enjoyed watching the roach squirm, whine, and mouth-off to him; an odd combination for a devil, though one that kept Satanick amused and intrigued. His subordinates certainly kept him entertained, but nothing to the effects of what this was. A strange sensation, to be sure, but one that Satanick found himself not minding as much this early morning. Perhaps all it took was a good night’s rest to feel more accustomed to this.

With his right arm resting underneath the pillow his head rested on, Satanick slid his left hand up from off Ivlis’s waist to put it gently onto his right cheek. The flame devil’s face twitched a bit at this, but he did not seem to be pulled from slumber just yet. Satanick found himself simply gazing at Ivlis, watching him sleep. Even this…it pleased a part of him that seemed to crave such actions. He looked at his own fingers on Ivlis’s smooth skin, recollecting all the times he had used these fingers to inflict both unbelievable pain and pleasure to this otherworldly being.

Satanick let out a light sigh. “What am I going to do with you, Buri-chan?” He honestly didn’t know. An odd battle seemed to be waging inside of his head and heart these days, yet not even him being the commander in chief of his own body knew what the outcome was going to be. Better yet, he hadn’t the foggiest clue as to what the fight was about.

Thankfully, the rustling at the foot of the bed had Satanick distracted enough to focus his attention towards the crib where the noise was coming from. Sliding his hand off of Ivlis’s cheek, Satanick turned over slightly to gaze down the length of the bed to see Licorice standing up in the crib. His head barely passed the top bar of the crib, and his chubby hands gripped on the railing for support. Those large eyes gazed at Satanick now that he noticed he was spotted, and Satanick let out a small chuckle seeing the innocent and wide-eyed wonder of this child that shared many of his traits. Licorice stared for a few moments as Satanick now simply watched the babe. Soon, Licorice raised his right hand to point a tiny finger at Satanick. “Ba,” he declared.

“Yes, Licorice,” Satanick acknowledged. Rotating the rest of the way so he could properly sit up, Satanick saw Licorice’s eyes now move to Satanick’s right to see the still sleeping form of Ivlis. He noticed the way Licorice’s eyes light up at seeing his “favorite person” - Satanick couldn’t help but make that own connection in his own brain. Shaking his head at such a silly thought, Satanick removed the covers off of himself, gently sliding out of the bed to acquire Licorice, who now gleefully hopped on his feet.

“Mama, Mama!” the boy called out as he tried his best to bounce up and down in his onesie covered feet. Satanick reached out from behind Licorice to pluck him from the crib, rotating him so he comfortably rested in Satanick’s arms. The boy still turned his head to stare at Ivlis, now pointing at him. “Mama,” he stated yet again, as if notifying Satanick about the sudden appearance of his mother being there.

“I know, Lico; Mama Buri is there.” Satanick then held up his right index finger to his lips, modeling for the infant to hush. “He’s sleeping, so you need to be quiet for now. Okay?” The infant stared at the devil lord, blinking a few times as he listened to Satanick trying to reason with him. Satanick couldn’t help but chuckle when Licorice put his own tiny finger to his lips, copying Satanick. “Yes, just like that,” he praised Licorice.

Turning, Satanick began to make his way out of the bedroom with Licorice, mindlessly playing with the black strands of soft hair on the back of Licorice’s head. Licorice just gazed around him, the occasional yawn slipping out as Satanick walked with him down the hallway. Peeking behind Satanick’s shoulder now as he wiggled around, Licorice looked back at the now closed door to Satanick’s bedroom. Satanick merely shook his head at this; even now, the child still was thinking about Ivlis.

Even now, their baby gravitated towards Ivlis.

“Just like your silly Papa, Lico,” Satanick commented out loud, mostly to himself and not for the infant’s benefit. Of course he’d never be able to comprehend what these feelings were; even Satanick himself didn’t understand them. Despite that, there were things he could understand, and as a father, he would do his best to make sure his duties were fulfilled the best they could be. At least, for the next few hours they had left together. As somber as that thought was, it was also sobering for Satanick. The longer he prolonged this impromptu visit, the harder he felt it would become for him to let go of this devil that both fascinated and infuriated him.

The sound of his black boots with the large golden buttons echoed across the marble flooring as Ivlis wandered the hallways of Satanick’s castle. After he had woken up – taking a few minutes to compose himself with the morning fog in his brain – he soon pieced together that Satanick was nowhere to be found, nor was Licorice. Logically, he told himself to not fear this occurrence – he did not want a repeat of yesterday – but he found himself gathering up his discarded clothes from yesterday’s surprise assault, hurriedly making himself look somewhat presentable if he was going to go searching for their whereabouts.

Now, as he wandered the somewhat quiet halls, Ivlis coached himself to remain calm. _Just relax_ , he told himself. _He’s fine. Everything will be fine._ Despite these irrational fears, Ivlis also found himself a bit perturbed at this man that seemed to do these things deliberately.

_You don’t know that for sure_ , his brain reasoned. Yet, the thoughts lingered in the back of Ivlis’s mind like nibbling little cockroaches. Rolling his eyes at such an absurd comparison, Ivlis let out a sigh as he continued his investigation. It was still fairly early in the morning, so he assumed Licorice was hungry. Ivlis kept his eyes down whenever he would pass by another castle resident; he’d rather they pretend he wasn’t actually here. What disturbed him about the whole thing was that they apparently seemed used to him being around nowadays. Ivlis swallowed the lump in his throat with that realization. How he hated the thought that this was becoming so commonplace to be in this realm so often.

"I gotta get out of here,” he whispered to himself as he turned down a hallway towards his left. Sure enough, the childish giggles of a girl reached Ivlis’s ears, followed by the light chuckling of Satanick. Swallowing again and keeping his face as straight as possible, Ivlis entered the kitchen area towards his left to find Satanick and Crea sitting down at the large wooden table in the middle of the floor off to the right side of the room. Crea happily ate the plate of pancakes stacked in front of her, loaded with syrup, a piece skewered onto the prongs of the fork she held in her right hand. Satanick sat near her to her right. In his arms, Licorice greedily gulped down his bottle, but his gaze was turned upside down over Satanick’s left arm; Licorice kept his attention on the foreign food item Crea was enjoying.

Satanick’s gaze raised to now meet Ivlis’s as he noticed movement in the archway. It never failed that this man’s gaze and slight curl on his lips always had Ivlis shuddering. Something about his gaze always made Ivlis tremble in ways he couldn’t explain; one thing was for sure, he knew some of those feelings included disgust, fear, and aggravation. The ones he could not quite pinpoint were the ones that troubled him the most. Ivlis merely clenched his fists together, digging his claws lightly into his palms so he could refocus his attention to the matters at hand rather than these perturbing feelings. Well, at least he knew for certain that Licorice was safe.

Still standing in the archway, Crea now noticed Satanick staring up at she turned her gaze towards Ivlis, as well. At first, her expression wavered a bit – as if she was still thinking about yesterday’s incident – but it soon faded into a soft smile. “Good morning, Mama Buri,” she greeted him. Ivlis was slightly taken aback at this, not expecting a fairly warm greeting from her. After all, he had snapped at her yesterday, however unintentional it might have been; Satanick had made that very clear to him last night. Yet here she was, acting as if all was fine. How easy it must be to be a child, Ivlis imagined – to just freely forgive and move along in life. Such innocence would never be granted to him again….

Those depressing thoughts soon dissipated as Crea continued to question Ivlis. “Are you feeling better today, Mama Buri?”

Ivlis’s eyes flickered towards Satanick for a brief moment; all it took was seeing those phlox-colored irises once more for Ivlis to respond accordingly. “Y – Yeah,” he murmured out. Deciding to take the initiative – and the subtle feeling of a hint from Satanick – Ivlis walked over to the table. He pulled out a seat opposite Satanick so he could sit towards Crea’s left. Ivlis kept his gaze on Crea’s button-like eyes. The girl seemed unfazed by this as he formulated how to apologize to the girl; she popped a piece of pancake into her mouth, chewing as she stared unblinking at him.

“Crea, I… I’m sorry about yesterday.” _See? Was that really so hard?_ Ivlis internally groaned at these remarks inside his own head. The way it sounded…it was almost like something Satanick would say. Was this man so ingrained in his life now that he honestly was thinking of what he would say to him?! _Stupid._

“Oh,” Crea remarked. “That’s okay. I don’t mind.” The girl continued slicing at and eating her breakfast with enthusiasm while also being mindful of not splashing the syrup everywhere. A few seconds of silence passed before she expectantly focused on Ivlis again. “Do you think we could go for a walk today?”

Ivlis’s first instinct was to look over towards Satanick, and he hated that he did so – as if to ask for permission. Then again, the devil lord had mentioned about returning Ivlis and Licorice to the Flame Underworld today….

Satanick gave a grin at Ivlis before nodding at Crea. “I think we have time for that.” His gaze now turned towards Ivlis again. “Right, Mama Buri?”

Ivlis bit the inside of his bottom lip to keep from retorting the way he wanted to seeing Satanick’s smug expression. A final walk with Crea wouldn’t be bad at all; if anything it might even help him blow off some steam with this inner turmoil he felt brewing inside of him.

“Yeah,” Ivlis mumbled out in reply. “Sounds nice.”

Ivlis kept pace as Crea trotted on ahead of him by a few feet. The grounds were a bit damp today, though Ivlis couldn’t recall it raining out last night. Then again, he hadn’t really been paying attention to the weather as he had slept. After being offered some pancakes from Crea, the party had set off on their morning stroll. Satanick had once again carried Licorice around for quite a while, only for the infant to whine for Ivlis soon after. The timing worked out for the devil lord, as he was soon called away by that butler-looking goat demon.

_“You three go on ahead,” Satanick waved Ivlis and Crea onward. “I’ll catch up with you later. Duty calls.”_

Ivlis felt a bit awkward being left alone now with just Crea and Licorice, but he could appreciate the respite from Satanick’s presence. Crea appeared wise beyond her years, as she seemed to sense Ivlis’s discomfort and skipped ahead, calling for him to move along with her. Distractions were appreciated these days.

Now, in silence, Ivlis followed the girl as her sneakers intermittently squeaked across the wet stones on this particular cobblestone pathway. Licorice seemed content enough just being held by his mother, as he simply stared at Ivlis and his surroundings as Ivlis carried him around. The occasional babble of the boy kept Ivlis grounded in reality enough on watching where he was going.

Crea stopped in her tracks after a bit more time passed on their walk. She then darted to a bush nearby that bloomed red roses. Even from here, Ivlis could see some of their petals still had water droplets on them. Unafraid of the thorns, Crea plucked a rose that was slightly above her eye level. Ivlis watched as she came up to him, holding it out towards him. “Here, this flower reminds me of you, so I thought you should have it.”

Staring at the bright red object held up to him, he reached out with his right hand, taking the small stem from the girl. He looked at the blood-colored petals, realizing that in many ways, she was right – this flower did suit him. He had caused quite the bit of bloodshed in his efforts to steal power from another world, and now, his own blood was spilled at times.

_Get a grip_ , he reprimanded himself. Now was not the time for those disheartening thoughts. The rose was a simple token of recognition from a child; nothing more than that.

Offering Crea a small smile, Ivlis nodded towards the expectant girl. “Thank you,” he responded. “It’s really pretty.”

With a smile of her own, Crea turned on her heel to keep walking forwards. “They really are,” she proudly declared. “I’ve learned a lot about taking care of the gardens. I like to share the colors with people that visit.”

Ivlis looked down at the rose he was now stuck holding, figuring it best to just keep it in his right hand at his side; Licorice took notice of the colorful item that Mama now had, reaching for it with noises akin to that of wanting the item for himself. Ivlis decided to keep following after Crea, unsure what else to make of these little moments. Such things made life seem sweet, but the reality of where he was – of who ruled this land – still left bitter tastes in Ivlis’s mouth.

Feeling the wind rustling behind him, Ivlis looked over his shoulder, jumping to see Satanick now behind him. “Gah!” he gasped out, startled at the sudden appearance of him. Practically tripping over his feet as he turned to face the devil, Satanick reached out, pulling on Ivlis’s left arm to steady him. At least Licorice found it comical as he squealed at such a sudden event.

Crea heard the commotion and now made her way towards the pair. “Lord Devil, are you back from your work now?” she asked expectantly.

Ivlis kept his eyes focused on Satanick’s face as he watched the man’s eyebrows knit together in a bit of remorse. “I’m sorry, Crea, I have to meet with some important people soon, so the walk will be a bit shorter for now.” Those purple eyes now met Ivlis’s, and the flame devil still felt those icy yet shuddering sensations run down his spine when he stared at him. “I’m going to be returning Mama Buri and Licorice back to their world today. I’m sure they miss them there, right?”

Crea looked down at her feet for a moment in thought, a bit disappointed their time was cut short, but she soon looked up, a small smile on her lips. “Yes, I’m sure they do miss them. But I had fun.” Her smile widened during that statement.

Satanick gave a small smile back at the girl. “Good; I’m glad, Crea.” Releasing his hand off of Ivlis’s arm, Satanick reached out to take ahold of Licorice from Ivlis’s arms. Ivlis watched in concern, soon realizing Satanick was crouching down with Licorice, carefully holding the baby out towards Crea. “Give Licorice a hug.” Crea easily complied, wrapping her arms around the infant in a gentle yet enthusiastic hug as Satanick held him out underneath his tiny arms. Licorice’s face buried in Crea’s black curls, and he giggled, gently nibbling on the strands of hair as his little hands grasped at her head, as if he was hugging her back.

Satanick rotated the boy to help ease up Licorice’s grip on Crea. “Easy, Lico, easy,” he admonished, though both Crea and Licorice did not seem to mind this as she pulled away from the hug. Her gaze now turned to Ivlis, and Ivlis found himself being hugged around the legs by Crea. He stared down at the top of her two-toned hair of pink and black, unsure what to make of this. He hadn’t known this child for very long, yet she still seemed to accept him in some fashion. Hugs from Poemi were common these days, but even still, Ivlis wasn’t sure what to make of the embrace. However, he knew enough to bend slightly at the hip so he could give a tiny hug back around Crea. The girl raised her head after a few seconds, staring with those window-like eyes.

“Be sure to visit me soon, okay, Mama Buri?”

As Ivlis pulled back from the hug, Satanick reached out for Ivlis’s right hand, holding it in his now. As the flame devil looked at the clasped hands, he watched as Crea stepped back from him, waving casually at the three devils.

“I’ll be back soon, Crea,” Satanick said, a tiny wink given to her.

As the world around them blurred and became dark for a moment, Ivlis was once again greeted with the feeling of transporting to another location. How he hated Satanick doing things like this out of the blue, even if he subconsciously knew it was coming. As his feet made contact with the familiar floor, he realized he was once again in his bedroom. Still fairly dim in the room with only one window, the perpetual night sky of his world among the flames, and the bed sheets still rumpled from when he had woken up to take care of a crying Licorice, it appeared as if he had never left this place; as if time had not passed in the slightest. He clearly knew that was not the case, but seeing such a thing still left him feeling disillusioned – as if this whole week had been an odd nightmare.

Satanick slid his hand out from Ivlis’s, and the flame devil looked at him, trying to decode what the next step was going to be in this man’s plans for him. Ivlis watched as Satanick placed Licorice back into his crib at the foot of his bed, rotating briefly to cup Ivlis’s chin in his right palm. Ivlis stood still, slightly frozen with how quick this devil was being. A mere rough kiss was Satanick’s goodbye to him. Even with Satanick’s soft lips, Ivlis could sense it was rushed. 

“I’ll be back for you soon, Buri-chan.” With a final smirk and look from those bedroom eyes, Satanick disappeared in front of Ivlis, as if he was an apparition – here one moment, gone the next. Ivlis stood there a moment, blinking, as he tried to comprehend all that had just occurred. Glancing around, he realized he truly was back in his own room; his own world.

Letting out a deep breath he realized he had been holding in, Ivlis made his way towards his bed. Licorice – who had been standing and holding onto the railing of his crib – now bounced up and down. “Mama, Mama!” he called for Ivlis. Turning, Ivlis extracted the babe from his little prison, bringing the baby with him to his bed as he sat down on the edge. While holding Licorice on his lap, Ivlis flopped back onto the cool and crumpled sheets of his own bed. Another sigh escaped his lips as Licorice climbed his way up his mother's body to lie down on Ivlis’s chest, cooing out, “Mama,” once more.

Ivlis placed his hands on Licorice’s back, holding him steady so he wouldn’t roll off. “Maybe we should rest a bit more. What do you say, Licorice?” The infant cuddling his face into his chest was all the confirmation Ivlis needed to close his eyes once more, hoping that the comforts of what he called “home” would help him simply forget this tumultuous week.

On the floor remained a single red rose – a slightly brighter shade than the other crimsons in this fiery world.

Satanick arrived back in front of his castle in a cloud of black smoke. Seeing his dark castle and the curling spirals of the architecture helped the devil lord refocus his thoughts a bit more. Yes – he was the lord over this realm, and as such, he had a multitude of business to attend to. Strolling up the path of tiny rocks crunching underneath his black dress shoes, his thoughts once again flashed with the fleeting feeling of that flame devil’s mouth on his. That mouth – one that was so useful yet could also be so cruel with his words. Satanick sighed, thinking it was a mistake to have drug that man over here for days on end. Now, he feared he wouldn’t be able to properly focus for his obligations.

Annoyed he might be at this idea, yet Satanick found himself a bit...elated. It had been quite the eventful week – one of rest, but also one of excitement that left Satanick feeling a bit drained.

“Oh, Buri-chan; just what am I going to do with you?” He shook his head at this, his somewhat messy black locks swishing around his eyes. Wasn't that the second time he had asked himself that today? 

At least his imagination could run wild with these "what-if" thoughts as he made his way up the stone stairs and through the large wooden doors into his home.

The week had been sweet, even with its times of bitter tones. Satanick smirked at the thought that now sprung into his head – a silly little comparison, but one that mimicked the culmination of both devil's beings. “Just like licorice,” he muttered under his breath with a slight chuckle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and sticking around as I work on these fics! I appreciate all of you. 
> 
> I apologize it's taking a while with some of my fics these days with my new work schedule, but know I am still working on many of them. Coming Home and Confessions are still being worked on bit by bit. 
> 
> I feel this was a good place to end Sweet Baby, leaving it open for the events of the DSP universe to unfold with things like Distorted Love before leading into Why? and soon it's sequel, Redemption. :) 
> 
> Thank you all for your support, and thank you for bearing with me! Love ya! :) <3


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